Earning a decent income from growing guava.

Growing guava provides a stable income for farmers.

To adapt to climate change and saltwater intrusion, many farmers have proactively shifted their crop structure, changing from less productive rice fields to fruit trees.

Among these, guava is considered a high-yielding crop that provides people with stable income and has a relatively high salt tolerance compared to some other crops.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in recent times, the restructuring of crop patterns, converting inefficient rice land to fruit trees suitable for climate change conditions and increasing economic efficiency, has been a focus of attention for the agricultural sector and the people.

Among them, the guava tree, with its many advantages such as ease of care, year-round fruiting with high yields, and relatively stable prices, is a crop chosen by many farmers for cultivation.

According to relevant authorities, guava varieties have a wide adaptability, can tolerate harsh weather conditions, and are not picky about soil type, so they can be grown in many different soils. Because they are easy to grow and care for, they can be widely planted in many places, in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soils with a pH of 4.5-8.2; guava trees have good tolerance to drought and waterlogging.

According to statistics from the Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Long province), the current guava cultivation area in Vinh Long is approximately 1,000 hectares. Of this, Tra On district accounts for over 55% of the total guava cultivation area in the province. Currently, there are Taiwanese pear guava and Queen guava varieties that yield multiple harvests per year and require less care.

The yield of guava grown as a monoculture crop from the second year onwards reaches approximately 25-50 tons/ha/year, while for intercropped guava, the average yield is about 5-10 tons/ha/year depending on the intercropping density and tree age. According to many farmers, the peak price of guava can range from 7,000-14,000 VND/kg depending on the variety, ensuring economic efficiency for farmers.

Many guava farmers say that most guava trees are grown from grafted saplings, so they bear fruit very quickly, usually after about 8-10 months before the first harvest. However, don't let the fruit develop too early because the tree will quickly weaken.

Guava is a short-cycle crop that yields fruit year-round. It requires little investment, is resistant to pests and diseases, and requires minimal care. When the guavas bear fruit, the only effort needed is to bag the fruit. Care only requires adequate watering and regular pruning of overly old or diseased branches.

With 5 acres of land previously used to cultivate other crops that did not provide a stable income and required a lot of care, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly (Tich Loc hamlet, Tich Thien commune, Tra On district) boldly converted the entire area to growing Queen guava. To protect her guava orchard from the risks of drought and saltwater intrusion, Ms. Ly has invested in an automatic sprinkler irrigation system to reduce labor and save water.

"Growing guava trees yields fruit early, provides a regular income, and doesn't require much effort in care. As long as they are adequately watered, they are very resistant to pests and diseases. In particular, the trees don't need much water, making them suitable for areas frequently affected by salinity," said Ms. Ly.

According to the People's Committee of Tich Thien commune, the entire commune currently has more than 1,400 hectares of agricultural land. In recent years, salinity levels in the commune have been quite high. Therefore, to adapt to drought and salinity, many households have chosen suitable crops with good salt tolerance such as guava, coconut, jackfruit, etc., and regularly update information on drought and salinity to proactively manage irrigation water. Among these, the guava cultivation model is opening up a new direction in the transformation of crop structure, bringing high economic value.

Mr. Che Hoai Han, Vice Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Tich Thien commune, said: "In recent times, farmers have boldly converted inefficient garden land to specialized guava cultivation. Due to the characteristic of the tree being able to sprout and bear fruit continuously, the yield of guava trees is very high, so guava growers reap profits very quickly and multiple times a year."

To increase guava production efficiency, authorities recommend that cultivation should include sufficient watering, adequate fertilization (paying extra attention to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote continuous flowering and good fruit setting), and regular pruning during flowering and after harvest (removing overgrown branches within the canopy). This creates an open canopy that helps growers manage common pests and diseases such as fruit flies, fruit borers, stink bugs that damage young shoots and fruits, mealybugs, scale insects, anthracnose, and pink mold.

To improve the effectiveness of pest and fly management on guava fruit, farmers should limit the use of chemical pesticides and wrap the fruit with specialized bags.

Mr. Nguyen Vinh Phuc , Head of the Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department, said: "For guava trees to become a potential crop that brings high economic efficiency to farmers, it is necessary to cultivate the crop according to the plan."

Effective technical solutions for guava cultivation are needed so that farmers can apply them to properly care for their existing guava orchards, reduce disease rates, and simultaneously develop guava cultivation models using appropriate technical measures (varieties, cultivation techniques, disease prevention and treatment, etc.), VietGAP standards, and establish planting area codes... thereby enhancing the value and quality of Vinh Long guavas.

Text and photos: PHI LONG

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