Monthong durian area on hilly land in Quang Ngai

The "crazy" guy broke the glue to grow durian

Walking around the lush durian garden on a gentle hill, Mr. Nguyen Tan Hanh (Phu Lam Tay village, Hanh Thien commune, Nghia Hanh district, Quang Ngai province) could not hide his joy when he saw the fruits of his labor ready for harvest.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Hanh's Monthong durian garden is grown on land that used to specialize in growing acacia trees.

“In 2019, this hill was still covered with acacia trees. The trees were several years old, but I decided to cut them all down and switch to growing Monthong durian from the variety supported by the district. I also borrowed hundreds of millions of dong from the Social Policy Bank to invest here. At that time, everyone said I was crazy because I didn’t believe I could successfully grow a tree with high economic value like durian in the acacia hills,” Mr. Hanh humorously shared.

It seemed simple enough, but when he started doing it, Mr. Hanh encountered many difficulties. Having no experience, he had to learn every little thing about the characteristics and care of durian trees so that they would grow well, without pests or falling over.

For durian growers like Mr. Hanh, the biggest concern is ensuring enough water for the trees. Too little or too much water can cause the durian trees to drop flowers and fruit. So during prolonged droughts, dry wells and dry streams, he has to carry buckets of water to water the trees. During the rainy season, he has to worry about supporting the trees, tying branches and covering the roots.

In particular, durian flowers bloom at night and fall off after only a few hours. Therefore, natural pollination (by bees and insects) has not been achieved in terms of both quantity and quality of fruit. Therefore, durian flowering season is also the time when gardeners are busy pollinating the flowers from dusk to midnight.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Hanh guides how to identify when durian can be harvested.

“This year, the harsh weather has made it very difficult to take care of durian. However, thanks to the correct application of technical procedures, 40 durian trees of the Monthong variety have produced many fruits, ensuring quality, yielding nearly 1.5 tons. With the garden price of 70,000 VND/kg, the family also has a good additional income,” said Mr. Hanh.

In addition to durian, Mr. Hanh also intercrops lemongrass, pepper, and areca nuts on the hillside garden to increase income on the same area. After deducting expenses, he expects to earn about 200 million VND this year, helping to improve his family's economy.

Promising model

Next to Mr. Hanh’s garden is Mr. Ho Nguyen Duy Tan’s Monthong durian garden, also planted on land that used to grow acacia. The 170 durian trees in his garden have the first ripe fruits of the second crop. On the next hill, Mr. Ho Duy Trung’s nearly 500 durian trees are promising to bring in a large income.

Mr. Ho Nguyen Duy Tan's family harvests Monthong durian.

“Monthong durian grows and develops well in hilly areas. Although the care process is difficult, this is a variety that promises to bring high economic efficiency,” said Mr. Tan.

Nghia Hanh district is considered the “capital” of fruit trees in Quang Ngai. The whole district currently has about 200 hectares of durian alone. With high prices and being favored by the market, durian is a crop that helps farmers earn a significant income. Although the tree begins to bear fruit in the 5th year, the period of highest productivity is from the 12th to the 25th year.

Durian begins to bear fruit in the fifth year.

Therefore, gardeners pay attention to durian care, from additional pollination when the tree flowers, to fruit development and calculating the number of fruits on each branch, to ensure the tree has a long life and prolongs the harvest time.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of Nghia Hanh district, Phan Cong Huan, said that Hanh Thien commune alone has a total durian growing area of ​​nearly 40 hectares, of which about 10 hectares of durian have produced fruit.

For Monthong durian grown on the hills in Hanh Thien commune, initial results show that this tree is suitable for soil and climate conditions and is highly appreciated by consumers for its quality.

Monthong durian in Hanh Thien is highly appreciated for its quality.

“According to the district’s policy in the resolutions, specifically the fruit tree planting project for the period 2021-2025, the district encourages the conversion of acacia and low-efficiency industrial trees to fruit trees. As for durian, this is still a fairly new crop, so it needs time to develop and expand. In addition, the province needs to have a support mechanism suitable to the actual conditions and situation, maximizing the advantages of agricultural production,” Mr. Huan shared.

The Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghia Hanh district also informed that in the near future, groups on fruit trees such as durian, grapefruit, and rambutan will be established so that farmers can share experiences, techniques, and markets, and together develop sustainable fruit tree growing areas, contributing positively to poverty reduction and increasing income for local people.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/vung-sau-rieng-monthong-tren-dat-doi-o-quang-ngai.html