The vibrant green growth of the custard apple tree

Along National Highway 1B, the La Hien and Vo Nhai areas are surrounded by towering limestone mountain ranges interspersed with small, flat valleys. This blend of semi-mountainous terrain, distinctive climate, and mineral-rich soil creates an ideal ecological zone for the growth of fruit trees, especially custard apples.

Custard apple orchard in Vo Nhai.

The "background" of each custard apple tree

Even people like Mr. Chất, who have been involved with custard apple cultivation for many years, cannot fully explain why the custard apples from this region have such a unique sweetness and aroma that cannot be mistaken for custard apples from anywhere else.

All we know is that the custard apples of Vo Nhai, where he lived, seemed to absorb the essence of the morning dew, bask in the sun and wind, and embody the purity of the mountains and forests.

Seen from afar, Mr. Chat's custard apple orchard resembles a silk ribbon draped across the mountainside, with the trees sprouting and flourishing in the crevices of the rocks. Mr. Chat's custard apple trees are numbered and meticulously cared for, much like the people of Vo Nhai take care of themselves.

For Mr. Chất, the custard apple is cherished and carefully nurtured because each fruit embodies the soul, culture, and hardworking nature of the people of this region.

This is the custard apple tree belonging to the family of Mr. Kieu Thuong Chat, Vo Nhai commune, Thai Nguyen province.

To ensure the custard apples are beautiful, Mr. Chất creates a "profile" for each tree, detailing the care process and projected yield. Each numbered custard apple tree has clear and up-to-date information in its file, allowing customers to place orders even when the tree is just beginning to bear fruit, see how the tree they purchased is being cared for, and when it will be harvested.

Mr. Chất said that his family currently has over 2 hectares of custard apple trees, of which more than 1.5 hectares are already producing fruit. The family grows custard apples using organic methods, mainly using microbial fertilizers. In recent years, they have been intensively cultivating custard apples in staggered seasons, resulting in two harvests per year. Although grown on a hillside, the installation of an automatic irrigation system has made the work much less strenuous than before.

In Mo Ga hamlet (Vo Nhai commune), Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoan's custard apple orchard stands out with its beautiful scenery and prime location right next to the national highway. Ms. Hoan owns over 200 custard apple trees that are 12 years old, and her family has also registered 40 of them. In her first online sales season, customers placed orders months before harvest.

According to Ms. Hoan, the highlight of her custard apple trees is that customers buy online, tracking how she fertilizes and cares for the trees. When it's time to harvest, her family just needs to pack and ship them. During harvest days, Ms. Hoan's custard apple orchard is bustling with buyers. They come not only to enjoy the taste of the custard apples, but also in groups of young people who stroll through the orchard, listen to her introduce the traditional custard apple cultivation of Vo Nhai and the culture of the people there.

"During the recent harvest, my family mainly sold our produce directly from the orchard, not taking it to the market. Thanks to good marketing, the price was quite high; at the beginning of the season, we sold it for 60,000 VND/kg, which is 10,000 to 20,000 VND/kg higher than the price of traditionally grown custard apples," Ms. Hoan said.

Silently building green momentum

Many tourists and traders come to buy and experience the custard apple orchard.

In La Hien commune, custard apple is the main fruit crop that has provided a stable source of income for the people for many years, with a value exceeding 200 million VND/ha.

Over the years, the commune has pioneered the application of information technology, implementing QR code traceability for custard apples, bringing agricultural products to e-commerce platforms, and applying VietGAP and organic farming models. These steps have contributed to transparency in the production process, enhanced product reputation, and expanded the market.

Mr. Tran Duc Tu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of La Hien commune, said that the commune focuses on developing custard apple growing areas in the direction of intensive farming, staggered planting, building new-style cooperatives, linking farmers with businesses, combining the development of community tourism and ecotourism associated with agriculture , and exploiting the strengths of the La Hien Custard Apple Festival.

Not stopping at traditional growing areas, building on the success of La Hien and Vo Nhai, the Department of Science and Technology of Thai Nguyen province, in coordination with the Central Institute of Horticulture, has implemented a trial planting of 6 hectares of Thai custard apple, Taiwanese custard apple, firm custard apple, and soft custard apple in Bach Thong, Thanh Thinh, and Cho Moi communes.

This is seen as a pioneering step in expanding custard apple cultivation to the northern part of the province, an area with great land potential but where high-value fruit crops have not been effectively exploited.

Staff from the Institute of Horticulture provide guidance on caring for and pruning one-year-old custard apple trees in Phiêng An village, Bạch Thông commune.

According to Mr. Ngo Hong Quang, an official from the Central Institute of Horticulture, the soil and climate in the northern communes of Thai Nguyen are quite similar to those in the Vo Nhai and La Hien regions.

The climate, with sufficiently cold winters and moderately hot summers, provides ideal conditions for custard apples to accumulate sugar, resulting in a rich, sweet flavor, firm flesh, and less mushy texture. Experimental custard apple trees have produced fruits weighing up to 1.2 kg, demonstrating great potential for yield and quality.

Mr. Quang also believes that, in addition to natural factors, the application of cultivation techniques, especially pruning and off-season flowering and fruiting management, plays a crucial role in increasing the value of custard apple trees, helping farmers break free from the vicious cycle of "bumper harvest, low prices".

Currently, trial plantings in the northern communes are showing very promising initial results. And if the trials are successful, this will be an important basis for selecting the best custard apple variety to replace hundreds of hectares of old, low-economic-efficiency citrus trees.

From the limestone slopes of La Hien to the northern regions with ample room for development, the custard apple tree is quietly creating a promising "green surge." Beyond its economic value, the custard apple tree instills in people the belief in a new direction for mountainous agriculture, where the land, climate, and diligent human hands are converging in a transformative shift.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202601/suc-bat-xanh-tu-cay-na-so-b4e78a3/