Growing woody vines in the airport city.

Mr. Lu Sung Bat introduces the high - value tree-vine vineyard in Loc An commune, Long Thanh district. Photo: B. Nguyen

Impressively, after many years of investment, his family now owns approximately 13 hectares of jaboticaba fruit farms in Long Thanh and Thong Nhat districts. Not only does he sell the fresh fruit of this unique specialty at a high price, but he also invests in processing many unique products from jaboticaba, which are not only delicious but also highly nutritious for health.

Domesticating exotic specialty breeds.

Nearly 20 years ago, Mr. Lu Sung Bat imported jaboticaba tree saplings from Taiwan for experimental cultivation. Seeing that the trees grew quickly and yielded good results, he has continuously expanded the area dedicated to growing jaboticaba trees ever since.

Mr. Lu Sung Bat shared: "I am passionate about agriculture , so investing in an agricultural farm is an asset I want to leave to future generations because these crops not only provide economic value and healthy food but also benefit the environment."

This passion is what motivates him to persistently invest heavily in developing woody grapevine plantations, a crop that requires a very long-term investment. According to Mr. Lu Sung Bat, woody grapevines grown from seeds need 6-7 years to yield a harvest, but they are more durable and have a much longer lifespan than grafted trees. The older the tree, the higher the yield and the better the quality.

The Tu Tung business establishment in Loc An commune, Long Thanh district, is currently supplying the market with ornamental plants made from grapevines, priced from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of VND per plant, contributing to increasing the economic value of this production model.

Recounting the journey of domesticating this exotic plant species in the Long Thanh airport urban area, Mr. Lu Sung Bat recalled that his family's 13 hectares of jaboticaba trees have yielded many generations of jaboticaba trees planted in different years. Among them, the first trees he planted experimentally are now nearly 20 years old, some are over 10 years old, and others are seedlings planted a few years ago that haven't yet yielded fruit, or newly propagated trees intended for further expansion. His farm propagates this specialty plant itself to continuously expand its cultivation area and also sells seedlings to customers who want to plant this type of tree.

Mr. Lu Sung Bat said that the tree grape, scientifically known as Jabuticaba, originates from South America. This exotic plant is now grown in many countries around the world, including Taiwan. However, this specialty variety, which is not easy to cultivate, is very suitable for the soil and climate conditions of Vietnam, especially in Long Thanh district. Specifically, in Taiwan, this tree only produces fruit twice a year, but when grown in Vietnam, it produces fruit year-round. Currently, tree grape varieties sold on the market also yield about two harvests per year. The variety grown at his family's farm, however, is treated to yield 5-6 harvests per year, not only providing high productivity but also producing fruit that is sweeter and more fragrant than those from many other regions.

Grape jam from the tree trunk.

What's impressive is that he doesn't grow grapes in the ground but entirely in pots and containers using clean, organic soil mixed with sand and coconut fiber, creating good aeration and drainage. According to Mr. Lu Sung Bat, caring for woody grapevines requires meticulous attention because they need frequent watering to prevent the roots from drying out, but the soil must be loose and well-draining; otherwise, the plant will grow slowly. Woody grapevines are virtually free of diseases, so the farm doesn't use any chemical pesticides at all, and the nutrients provided to the plants are mainly organic fertilizers, ensuring safety. He regularly has fresh grapes tested for safety and quality.

A diverse range of processed products

The fruit of the jaboticaba tree grows directly on the trunk, while the flowers and fruit grow from the roots. This fruit is considered one of the most nutritious, containing many substances beneficial to human health.

Mr. Lu Sung Bat added that, according to many published studies, jaboticaba fruit is rich in phenolic compounds, a substance very beneficial to human health. Nutritional analysis of jaboticaba fruit shows that it contains about 50 calories of amino acids, is rich in B and C vitamins, and is also very rich in anthocyanins...

Grape-shaped jelly made from tree trunk.

Eating this type of food is good for cardiovascular health, kidney health, nutritional deficiencies, swelling and inflammation of the stomach and intestines, dysentery, eye care, and enhances and improves the functions of the human body... Other parts of the plant, leaves, and roots are also valuable, especially as raw materials for human health care, supporting the treatment of many diseases.

Currently, Mr. Lu Sung Bat's family's jaboticaba (tree grape) farm is yielding 15-20 tons of fresh fruit per year. Besides selling fresh fruit at the farm for 250,000 VND/kg, he has also invested in cold storage and a processing area with various equipment to further process jaboticaba fruit into many specialty products such as vinegar, wine, grape juice, grape jam, dried grapes, jaboticaba jelly, etc. Customers enjoy these products not only because they are specialties but also because of their nutritional value and health benefits.

Ripe grapevine fruit. Photo: B. Nguyen

The grapevine farm of Tu Tung business establishment is always open to visitors who want to enjoy the specialty product. The farm's main customers are Chinese and Japanese companies, who order both fresh grapes and processed products for personal use and as gifts.

His farm is completing the necessary paperwork to supply products to AEON supermarkets (Japan), with a long-term goal of exporting. He continues to expand his farm, and when the harvest yields are high, he plans to export the tree grape fruit as well as processed products, as this is a rare specialty highly sought after by consumers worldwide. Mr. Lu Sung Bat is also completing the registration process for a local OCOP product to build a brand for the tree grape, a specialty of Dong Nai province.

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