Increase income through macadamia intercropping.

June 30, 2023 1:06 PM

Recently, many farmers in Dak Ha district have boldly planted macadamia trees intercropped in their coffee plantations. Currently, some areas are yielding stable harvests, bringing significant income to farmers.

In line with the policy of restructuring crop patterns towards focusing on the development of high- value perennial crops, Dak Ha district has directed communes to intensify propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage people to intercrop macadamia trees in areas with old, low-yielding coffee plants. To ensure the effectiveness of macadamia cultivation, Dak Ha district, in coordination with specialized agencies and the Vietnam Macadamia Association, has organized training and provided guidance on macadamia planting and care techniques for people to apply in production.

In addition, the district has directed specialized departments and localities to effectively support and facilitate households in accessing and utilizing preferential state loans to invest in, develop, and exploit the economic potential of this crop. To date, the entire Dak Ha district has mobilized and supported people in developing 380 hectares of macadamia trees, of which more than 50 hectares have already yielded harvests, with an estimated production of about 220 tons in 2023.

In Ha Mon commune, along with disseminating information to help people understand the province's and district's policy on macadamia tree development, the commune also encourages and creates the best conditions for people to develop macadamia trees in the area. Therefore, to date, the entire commune has developed 13 hectares of macadamia trees, planted both in concentrated areas and intercropped in coffee gardens; of which, 5 hectares are already yielding harvests.

Mr. Duong Van Phi (left) inspects the quality of the fruit. Photo: TH

In 2016, Mr. Duong Van Phi (in residential area 7, Dak Ha town) experimented with planting 100 macadamia trees in his family's coffee garden in Ha Mon commune, initially to act as a windbreak for the coffee plants. By 2020, when the macadamia trees began to flower and bear fruit, Mr. Phi started to learn more about the techniques for caring for this crop. By the 2022 harvest season, the macadamia trees yielded a more stable harvest, with an average yield of 15-20 kg of fresh fruit per tree, and the quality of the nuts met the requirements of purchasing units. With an average price of 100-120 thousand VND/kg, each macadamia tree brought Mr. Phi's family approximately 1.5 million VND.

Mr. Phi said: "Macadamia trees are very easy to care for, have few pests and diseases, require less fertilizer than other crops, and can be perfectly integrated with coffee cultivation. Therefore, I intend to interplant about 300 more macadamia trees to increase my income."

Following Mr. Phi's initial success, many farmers in Dak Ha district visited his farm to see for themselves and subsequently developed macadamia nut cultivation as an intercrop in their family's coffee gardens.

After researching and learning that macadamia trees were suitable for the local soil and climate, in 2013 Mr. Tran Xuan Dung (village 10, Dak Hring commune) purchased 25 macadamia trees to intercrop in his 6-hectare coffee plantation. By 2016, the 25 macadamia trees began to flower and bear fruit. However, due to a lack of knowledge about proper care, his macadamia trees yielded low productivity, averaging only 5-8 kg of fresh fruit per tree. To improve the yield, Mr. Dung sought out successful macadamia cultivation models to learn proper care techniques. Subsequently, thanks to proper care, his macadamia trees thrived, averaging 20-30 kg of fresh fruit per tree. Seeing the stable yield, in 2018 Mr. Dung boldly planted an additional 1,000 macadamia trees. Thanks to proper care and investment, the productivity of macadamia trees has increased, with each tree yielding an average of 40-60 kg of fresh fruit.

Mr. Tran Xuan Dung next to his macadamia orchard laden with fruit. Photo: TH

“I don’t sell fresh macadamia nuts like other households; instead, I invest in machinery to process them and sell the finished product. On average, my family sells 1.5 tons of processed macadamia nuts each year, at a price of 180,000 VND/kg, bringing in over 250 million VND annually,” Mr. Dung said.

According to Mr. Ngo Hong Hung, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Dak Ha district, a field survey has revealed that some areas are yielding stable harvests, bringing in significant income. This is a positive sign for the locality to develop specific plans and goals to expand the planting area, making macadamia trees a sustainable crop for poverty alleviation.

“To avoid risks during the planting and development of macadamia trees, we advise people to choose seedlings from reputable establishments with clear addresses. In the future, we will continue to coordinate with specialized agencies to monitor the growth and development of macadamia trees in localities to provide timely support and solutions if pest or disease problems occur,” Mr. Hung said.

Thu Hien

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