ONE BAMBOO ROOT, TWO SOURCES OF INCOME
With its characteristic red basalt soil interspersed with sloping hills and a hot, dry climate, choosing suitable crops for economic development is a difficult problem for many farmers in Binh Phuoc. However, the story of Mr. Nguyen Van Nguyet's crop conversion in Cay Go hamlet, Quang Minh commune, Chon Thanh town, is proof of bold change to create stable income on his homeland. Mr. Nguyet shared: "A few years ago, due to economic difficulties, I discussed with my family the possibility of switching to growing bamboo for shoots to generate daily income. Initially, it was hard work, but now, after two years, the income from bamboo shoots is relatively stable."
In Chơn Thành town, Mr. Nguyen Kim Thanh, Director of Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative (Thanh Tam ward), highly appreciates the potential of bamboo shoots: “Bamboo is easy to grow and has a good yield. Compared to rubber, cultivating one hectare of bamboo is easier and more economically efficient. Especially in areas with poor, barren land that is difficult to cultivate other crops, bamboo is the optimal choice.”
Experience from long-time bamboo growers shows that, with good care, each hectare can yield an income of 60-90 million VND per year for bamboo shoots. "With an area of 3-4 hectares, the income can reach 200-300 million VND per year. During the off-season when bamboo shoots fetch high prices, the income can reach 150 million VND per hectare per year," Mr. Thanh added.
Mr. Vo Duc Nghia, residing in Ward 1, Thanh Tam Commune, who has been involved in bamboo cultivation for over 10 years, affirmed: “If the harvest is good and the price is favorable, bamboo shoots can reach 32,000 VND/kg, especially from October to March of the lunar calendar. My family earns 300-350 million VND per year from fresh bamboo shoots. If we combine this with propagating bamboo seedlings for sale, the total income could reach approximately 500 million VND per year from our 6-hectare area.”
Besides selling fresh bamboo shoots, many households have also developed the business of propagating bamboo seedlings. With each seedling priced from 20,000 to 35,000 VND, this profession has helped many farming households significantly increase their income. Many nurseries are preparing tens of thousands of seedlings to supply the market from now until the end of the rainy season.
One of the strengths of bamboo is its high adaptability to various soil types, including barren soil or areas along rivers and lakes. After about 1.5 years of planting, the plant begins to yield a harvest and can continue for up to 15 years with proper care. Initial investment costs are low, planting techniques are simple, it is resistant to pests and diseases, and requires little maintenance. Growers simply harvest, process, weigh the bamboo shoots, and sell them directly from the farm.
Mr. Nghia added: "With sufficient fertilizer and irrigation, bamboo plants can yield shoots almost year-round, only resting for a little over a month while the garden recovers. Especially if planted in alluvial soil along rivers and lakes, the plants grow faster and the shoot yield is significantly higher."
FOR SUSTAINABILITY, WE MUST ESCAPE THE "SELL FRESH" SITUATION.
Although bamboo shoots are quite economically viable, they are facing many challenges. Increasingly erratic weather, with delayed rains and prolonged heatwaves in 2025, has affected crop yields. Furthermore, the peak bamboo shoot harvest coincides with the wild bamboo shoot season, leading to a surge in market supply and driving down prices.
At the beginning of the season, bamboo shoot prices fluctuated from 20,000 to 22,000 VND/kg for the best quality; by June, the price dropped to only about 8,000 VND/kg, with smaller shoots costing 4,000 VND/kg. After consecutive rains, the current price is only 3,000 VND/kg for grade 1 shoots and 1,500 VND/kg for grade 2 shoots. However, for experienced growers, this is not surprising. According to the cycle, when the weather turns sunny and dry, the price of bamboo shoots will gradually increase again. The important thing is to maintain a stable yield and keep the bamboo garden healthy. Therefore, if well-cared for and the bamboo garden maintains a stable yield, bamboo growers can still have a stable income. On average, after deducting expenses, farmers can still earn a profit of about 5-12 million VND per hectare per month. When prices are low, growers should proactively reduce watering and cut costs, waiting until prices rise before intensifying care for harvesting.
The biggest challenge facing bamboo growers is finding a market for their bamboo shoots. Currently, bamboo shoots in Binh Phuoc are mainly consumed domestically as fresh shoots, sold retail in traditional markets. The entire province lacks large-scale processing plants, its own brand, and access to export markets. Mr. Vo Duc Nghia expressed his concern: “Many households in Binh Phuoc are already growing this crop. Therefore, if an investor were to build a factory to process dried and pickled bamboo shoots for export right here in the province, the price of bamboo shoots would certainly be more stable, and growers would feel more secure in developing their business in the long term.”
In the province's agricultural economic development landscape, bamboo shoots are emerging as a suitable crop for sustainable poverty reduction. Their advantages include ease of cultivation, quick harvest time, and suitability for difficult-to-cultivate land, opening up opportunities to improve the lives of rural farmers. In particular, the combination of two sources of income from fresh bamboo shoots and seedlings is yielding a double benefit. According to calculations by long-time growers, if weather and prices are favorable, annual income from fresh bamboo shoots and seedlings can equal or exceed that of traditional crops such as cassava and rubber.
However, for bamboo shoots to truly become a key crop and create a unique identity for the province, a coordinated effort from local authorities, relevant departments and agencies, and especially the support of processing businesses, is needed. Building a closed value chain from production, harvesting, preliminary processing to consumption and export is a crucial factor in ensuring the sustainable development of bamboo shoots; transforming them from a poverty-relief crop into a source of wealth for many farmers in the province.
Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/4/174579/thu-nhap-kha-tu-trong-tre-lay-mang
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