Dragon fruit tree changes life in An Nghia

Like many other farmers, Mr. Le Quang Dao in Thang Loi area, An Nghia commune, used to grow corn and vegetables on his land. Although his life was stable, his income was not high, making him always struggle to find a new direction. Five years ago, while visiting a red-fleshed dragon fruit growing model by chance, he realized the great potential of this fruit tree. After careful research and comparison with other crops, he decided to take a risk and convert the entire 1 hectare of his family's land to grow dragon fruit.

Mr. Dao's dragon fruit garden brings in an annual income of 200-300 million VND.

After 3 years of persistent care, his dragon fruit garden began to yield harvests. Realizing the obvious economic efficiency, Mr. Dao joined the Thanh Ha Agricultural Service Cooperative, working with the people to build a sustainable production model.

The conversion from traditional crops to dragon fruit has brought unexpected success to many farming households in An Nghia commune. A typical example is Mr. Dao's model, his dragon fruit garden and the cooperative members can harvest from 20 to 30 tons of fruit per year, bringing in revenue of up to 500 - 600 million VND. After deducting the initial investment cost of about 100 - 200 million VND, the net profit can reach 300 million VND/year or more.

This success comes not only from high productivity but also from the close connection between members. Thanh Ha Agricultural Service Cooperative has built a Zalo group for everyone to exchange experiences, update prices, harvest times and pest control methods. This information channel helps to keep prices stable and ensures farmers' rights, creating trust and connection in the community.

Dragon Fruit Tree has helped many people in An Nghia commune change their lives.

Ms. Tran Thi Thep, Director of Thanh Ha Agricultural Service Cooperative, said: Currently, the Cooperative has 7 members and 20 households associated with cultivating over 21 hectares of dragon fruit. To improve product quality and build the dragon fruit brand, the Cooperative has set out a strict production process. Farmers are encouraged to use biofertilizers instead of single fertilizers, partly thanks to support from the province. Using biofertilizers not only helps plants grow well and increase productivity, but also ensures safe, environmentally friendly products.

Similarly, spraying also follows biological principles, only spraying for prevention before flowering and absolutely not spraying at harvest time, ensuring that the dragon fruit is completely clean. The cooperative regularly organizes technical training sessions on tree care, pruning flowers to ensure even fruit, and recognizing common diseases such as white spots. Thanks to the Zalo group, when a household detects a disease, the information will be shared immediately so that the whole group can proactively spray for prevention in time.

With initial successes, Thanh Ha Agricultural Service Cooperative is continuing to orientate sustainable development of high-quality dragon fruit. The goal is not only to expand the area but also to focus on ensuring the quality of the fruit always meets standards for export.

Viet Lam

Source: https://baophutho.vn/cay-thanh-long-doi-doi-o-an-nghia-238891.htm