Over 20 years ago, several households in Cai Kinh commune introduced custard apple trees to the limestone mountain ranges, covering an area of approximately 30 hectares. After a period of cultivation, the trees showed good growth and development, suitable to the local climate and soil conditions, so the people proactively expanded the planting area. In addition, the commune's Party committee and government organized training courses on custard apple cultivation and care techniques, providing people with the knowledge and experience to apply to their production.
Furthermore, in 2016, Cai Kinh commune began applying VietGAP standards to custard apple production to improve the quality of the fruit and meet the increasing demands of consumers. Accordingly, people received guidance from specialized agencies on the custard apple cultivation process, from fertilizing and spraying biological pesticides to pruning and harvesting, ensuring compliance with standards.
Mr. Nong Van Loi, from Dong Ngau village, Cai Kinh commune, is one of the exemplary households in the commune in developing custard apple cultivation. Mr. Loi shared: "My family started growing custard apples more than 20 years ago, initially on a small scale. Seeing the economic benefits, my family expanded the area over the years, and now we have over 2,500 trees. Thanks to participating in training courses on scientific and technical transfer and guidance on producing custard apples according to VietGAP standards, our custard apple orchard is thriving, producing beautiful fruit. On average, my family harvests over 10 tons of fruit annually, bringing in over 500 million VND in income each year."
Not only Mr. Loi's family, but also other residents in the commune have recognized the economic benefits of custard apple cultivation. They have converted their garden and riverside land to custard apple orchards and proactively produced custard apples according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. To date, the entire commune has 828 hectares of custard apple orchards, of which 500 hectares are cultivated according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. The annual custard apple production reaches over 62,000 tons. The economic benefits from custard apple cultivation have helped many households escape poverty and become wealthy, with many households earning an average income of 200 million VND per year, and some even earning over 1 billion VND per year.
Mr. Hoang Van Dan, Head of the Economic Department of Cai Kinh Commune, said: To support people's sustainable development, the Commune People's Committee has propagated and guided people to establish cooperatives with the goal of providing technical support, linking consumption, orienting production according to VietGAP standards, and promoting trade. As a result, the commune now has 3 custard apple growing cooperatives. In addition, the commune has guided people in developing OCOP custard apple products (One Commune One Product program). Accordingly, besides ensuring production according to standards, the commune has propagated and guided people to use product traceability labels for custard apples and designed custard apple packaging boxes printed with the Cai Kinh Custard Apple brand. Currently, the commune has 3 custard apple products that have been certified with 3-4 stars under the OCOP program, contributing to affirming the brand of the local specialty.
Besides developing the traditional custard apple variety, in the last three years, people in the commune have also introduced high-economic-value custard apple varieties such as Thai custard apple and durian custard apple, covering an area of 40 hectares. Mr. Le Quoc Hung, head of the Farmers' Cooperative for planting and caring for Thai and durian custard apples, shared: The cooperative was established in 2024 with 38 members. Currently, the cooperative's area of Thai and durian custard apples is about 25 hectares. These are high-economic-value custard apple varieties, which is why many households in the commune are expanding their cultivation area. Currently, the cooperative has built a product linkage chain, and its output of Thai and durian custard apples reaches over 100 tons per year.
To promote and enhance the value of the product, the People's Committee of Cai Kinh commune actively participates in trade promotion programs every year, showcasing custard apples at fairs inside and outside the province. In addition, the people also proactively promote the product on social media and e-commerce platforms. With guaranteed quality, the market for Cai Kinh custard apples is now not only within the province but also extends to many provinces and cities nationwide, such as Hanoi , Bac Ninh, and Quang Ninh.
Na Cai Kinh is not only a prominent specialty of Lang Son province, but also a symbol of the resilience and innovative thinking of local farmers. With the right approach and effective production and consumption linkages, the custard apple has helped people transform their lives. By the end of 2024, the poverty rate in the commune was only 2.23%, and the average per capita income reached 55 million VND/person/year. This has significantly contributed to the socio-economic development and rural development of the commune.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/cai-kinh-qua-ngot-giup-nong-dan-doi-doi-5056702.html
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