Economic development thanks to custard apples

Latest, authentic, accurate news

- With diligence and hard work, Mr. Le Duc Hai (born in 1970) in Bai Danh village, Cai Kinh commune has effectively implemented the model of growing Thai custard apple, durian custard apple, and Taiwanese custard apple according to VietGAP process, bringing high economic efficiency, earning an income of over 450 million VND per year.

Sharing with reporters, Mr. Le Duc Hai said: Previously, my family mainly grew longan and custard apple, but the economic efficiency was not high, and the output was unstable. In 2018, after researching and realizing that new custard apple varieties had outstanding advantages such as large fruit, high yield, and delicious flavor, I decided to convert the entire area to grow Thai custard apple. By 2020, I continued to expand to include durian custard apple and Taiwanese custard apple varieties.

Mr. Le Duc Hai checks his family's Thai custard apple tree.

According to Mr. Hai, he took advantage of his existing experience in growing and grafting fruit trees to choose his own varieties and graft them onto custard apple roots, helping to shorten the growing time. In the early days of switching to growing Thai custard apples, durian custard apples and Taiwanese custard apples, due to not mastering the techniques, the natural fruit set rate was not high. Not discouraged, he proactively sought information through books, newspapers and the Internet , applying scientific care methods, from grafting, additional pollination to pest management. Thanks to that, his family's custard apple garden is always full of fruit, beautiful in appearance and consistent in quality.

In particular, since 2023, he has maintained the production of two custard apple crops per year, the main crop from August to the end of October and the additional crop from December to the end of February of the following year, thereby increasing output and increasing stable income.

Sharing his experience in production according to VietGAP process, Mr. Hai said: The entire process of caring for custard apple trees, from fertilizing, pest control, pruning to harvesting, is fully recorded in his diary for easy monitoring and adjustment. Thanks to strict adherence to the process, the custard apple garden always ensures safety and consistent quality. After the custard apples reach a weight of about 0.2 kg, they will be carefully wrapped to limit pests and fruit flies, while maintaining the beautiful appearance of the fruit, meeting market requirements.

Sharing his farming secrets, Mr. Hai said that the entire care process uses compost and organic fertilizers. This method not only helps the soil to be loose, the plants to grow healthily, the fruits to be big and shiny, but also ensures environmental safety and aims for sustainable farming. All the products he uses to fertilize the plants are completely natural and do not harm the environment.

Thanks to meticulous care and proper techniques, the entire area of more than 2,700 custard apple trees of Mr. Hai's family (including about 700 Thai custard apple trees, 2,000 durian custard apple trees and Taiwanese custard apple trees) all grow well and yield stable harvests. Not only selling fruit, each year he also supplies the market with 8,000 to 10,000 custard apple seedlings of various types. In the 2023 custard apple crop, his family earned about 300 million VND; by 2024, income increased to over 450 million VND.

Mr. Le Duc Hai displays and introduces custard apple products at the program of digital transformation of traditional markets and development of e-commerce in Lang Son province in 2025.

Not only focusing on economic development from custard apple trees, in March 2025, Mr. Hai established the Huu Lung Green Agricultural Cooperative with 27 members. The cooperative was established to link and support each other in production and consumption of products, opening up a direction for sustainable agricultural development, contributing to increasing income for local people. In addition, Mr. Hai also actively brings custard apple products to display and promote at fairs and agricultural exhibitions in and outside the province, thereby widely introducing local specialties.

Mr. Linh Van Diep, Vice Chairman of Cai Kinh Commune People's Committee commented: Mr. Le Duc Hai is one of the pioneering households who boldly converted from traditional custard apple varieties to growing Thai custard apples, durian custard apples, and Taiwanese custard apples and initially achieved clear results. This model not only increases family income but also creates a new direction for many households in the commune. In the coming time, the local government will continue to accompany and support people in applying safe custard apple production techniques, building brands and expanding the consumption market for agricultural products in general as well as Thai custard apples, durian custard apples, and Taiwanese custard apples, thereby promoting the development of sustainable commodity agriculture in the locality.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/phat-trien-kinh-te-nho-cac-loai-na-5056523.html