Successful macadamia season in Tuan Giao

Ms. Pham Thi Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuan Giao District, inspected macadamia orchards and determined the harvest yield for 2023.

Around mid-August, macadamia orchards in Tuan Giao district entered the harvest season. Trees planted in 2018 and earlier have been yielding a stable harvest with abundant fruit. Trees planted in 2019 and 2020 have begun to bear fruit. With approximately 1,000 hectares of macadamia trees bearing fruit, this year's macadamia season in Tuan Giao is more vibrant than in previous years.

At the collection point of Dien Bien Macadamia Joint Stock Company, hundreds of bags of fresh macadamia nuts are neatly arranged, awaiting transport to the processing facility. This year, the company has approximately 250 hectares of macadamia trees bearing fruit, an increase of 100 hectares compared to last year. The macadamia orchards are spread across 9 hillside locations. To ensure timely harvesting and protect the macadamia orchards, the company hires dozens to nearly a hundred local people to harvest simultaneously at each hillside location, paying them 2,500 VND per kilogram of fruit, creating seasonal employment for the local people.

Mr. Do Van Huu, representative of Macadamia Joint Stock Company, said: “ This year the company harvested nearly 200 tons of fruit, an increase compared to last year due to the addition of some harvested areas and better yields this year, while maintaining good quality. The company currently has a total area of 800 hectares, and in the coming years, we will certainly harvest even more.”

Currently in Tuan Giao district, the area of scattered macadamia trees (planted by local people) that are bearing fruit is larger than the area of trees planted by businesses. The scattered tree area is mainly concentrated in Quai Nua commune. Mr. Lo Van Chanh's family in Pha Nang village started experimenting with macadamia cultivation in 2013 and has been harvesting fruit for many years. This year, his family has nearly 100 fruit-bearing trees, with a total harvest of nearly 2 tons.

Mr. Chanh shared: “On average, each macadamia tree in my family's orchard yields 20kg of fresh fruit, selling for 30,000 - 35,000 VND/kg. This year, the price is lower than in previous years, but the demand is high. Many traders and individuals have come to place orders and buy in large quantities; my family can't harvest fast enough or have enough to sell. Therefore, this year's harvest season is happening quickly. Although the price isn't as high as in the early years, the macadamia trees yield more fruit each year, so they still bring good economic value and a decent income for my family.”

This year, there is a high demand for macadamia nuts due to the large number of traders and processing facilities in the area. *In the photo: The macadamia processing facility of Ms. Doan Thi Thoa's family is purchasing approximately 40 tons of fresh nuts.*

With such economic benefits, Mr. Chanh's family, like many other macadamia growers in the area, is actively caring for and expanding their planting area, while replacing low-yielding and low-quality trees. Mr. Chanh further shared that in the early stages of experimental planting, they didn't know how to choose suitable macadamia varieties, so now some trees yield 40-50 kg of fruit, while others only produce a few kilograms. Therefore, every year Mr. Chanh "filters" some trees, cuts them down, and replaces them with new ones. In addition, this year his family invested in planting an additional 100 trees. According to his calculations, along with the existing area, in just 3-5 years, his family will have a guaranteed income from macadamia with hundreds of trees ready for harvest.

This year, a large quantity of macadamia nuts has been purchased, but supply is insufficient to meet demand, thanks to the increasing awareness of their health benefits. Many businesses in the district have invested in facilities and machinery to purchase macadamia nuts for processing, with prices ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 VND/kg for fresh nuts; and selling them on the market for approximately 270,000 to 300,000 VND/kg for dried nuts. As a result, Tuan Giao macadamia products are not only consumed within the province but also distributed throughout the country.

This season, the processing facility of Ms. Doan Thi Thoa's family (Tan Giang Hamlet, Tuan Giao Town) continues to purchase macadamia nuts from orchards in the district for processing. Ms. Thoa shared: “I buy macadamia nuts and select them according to size. Smaller nuts are shelled to extract the kernels and sold fresh to those who need them. Larger, beautiful nuts are carefully inspected, dried, and shelled before being packaged for sale. This year, many people are buying macadamia nuts, so the season is over quickly . Our facility has purchased more than 40 tons of fresh nuts, quickly processed them, ensuring quality, and supplied them to familiar markets such as Dien Bien, Hanoi , Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong...”

The 2023 macadamia harvest season has ended, and farmers, businesses, and macadamia processing households in Tuan Giao district have all reaped well-deserved rewards. Ms. Pham Thi Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Tuan Giao District People's Committee, assessed: “The yield, quality, and consumption of macadamia nuts this season once again confirm that this is a suitable crop for Tuan Giao. Next year, the area of macadamia trees bearing fruit and the macadamia production will increase even more. The district will continue to focus on caring for and developing the macadamia growing area and building linkages to ensure market access for this agricultural product.”

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