Thai Nguyen has a 'number custard apple garden'

After the days of flowering and fruiting, now custard apples in Thai Nguyen and custard apple orchards in Vo Nhai have begun to harvest. With more than 700 hectares of custard apples, this year, custard apple trees produce large, delicious fruits with higher yields than last year. Notably, through the custard apple orchard model, farmers apply digital transformation to make the production process transparent, thereby connecting gardeners with consumers, which is an opportunity for Thai Nguyen to create connections, bringing "clean" custard apple products to markets inside and outside the province and towards export.

Provincial leaders and delegates attended the Program to promote and connect the consumption of La Hien custard apple products and agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province in 2025.

Number of custard apple garden - new way

The model "Vo Nhai custard apple garden in digital environment" in Mo Ga hamlet, Phu Thuong commune (now Vo Nhai commune) was chaired by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vo Nhai district (now Vo Nhai commune Economic Department), in coordination with the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center (now the Provincial Agricultural Extension and Environment Center) and a number of related departments and branches.

During the implementation process, the model selected 100 custard apple trees that were free of pests and diseases, in the harvest stage (trees 4 years old or older) with a yield of 20-30kg/tree/year, at 2 custard apple specialized gardens of Mr. Kieu Thuong Chat and Mr. Hoang Anh Giang's families, Mo Ga hamlet.

Ms. Hoang Thi Kim Dung, Economic Department, Vo Nhai Commune, an officer participating in implementing the model: Implementing a digital custard apple garden, through a trading platform, from 2025, growers will provide custard apple products, consumers will own and monitor custard apple trees in a digital environment associated with specific custard apple trees at personalized home gardens, along with plant care services through live streaming images, providing the experience of planting, caring for and harvesting custard apple trees for the entire season (lasting one year, from the beginning of the season until the fruit sets)...

With technical support from the Provincial Center for Agricultural Extension and Environment, 2 households have applied cultivation techniques according to VietGAP standards and intensively cultivated custard apples in different seasons to extend the fruit harvest period. At the same time, they have established and used a water-saving irrigation system, equipped and operated a 24/7 camera system connected to a digital platform, creating a custard apple garden in a digital environment.

Along with that, it is necessary to build and attach an identification code to each custard apple tree through a QR code containing all data about the household and information about the custard apple tree to connect to the digital platform via a 24/7 camera. In particular, the model has also operated a digital platform connecting custard apple growers and custard apple tree buyers in the digital environment...

Representatives of custard apple farmers and influential tiktokers on social networks participated in livestreaming to sell custard apples and agricultural products, attracting 10 million views and selling nearly 1,500 orders.

Started in December 2024, up to now, the custard apple orchard has yielded its first harvest of ripe fruit. The most gratifying thing is that all the goals of the model have been achieved, not only achieving a good yield (25 - 30kg/tree), consistent fruit quality, with some fruits weighing 0.6kg, but also helping farmers apply digital transformation to make the production process transparent, thereby connecting gardeners with consumers.

Mr. Kieu Thuong Chat, who directly participated in the model, said: As one of the two households participating in the model, I am very excited because this is one of the solutions to increase the value of Thai Nguyen custard apples through integrating the value of emotional experiences and regional culture.

Connect to reach far

On the morning of August 16, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinated with Vo Nhai commune and households participating in the model to organize a livestream program right at the unique custard apple garden in Thai Nguyen. The good news is that the videos introducing the custard apple tree model reached nearly 15 million views after only 12 hours of posting.

The livestream session right at the custard apple garden attracted more than 500,000 viewers within 2 hours of livestream and more than 7,000 people watched at the same time, wanting to hear advice about the custard apple garden model. Many people expressed their wish that this model would be replicated so that customers who need to monitor the production and intensive farming process can feel secure when buying products from custard apple gardens like this.

Mr. Nguyen Ta, Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, shared: The interest of people across the country in custard apple gardens is an opportunity for Thai Nguyen to create connections, bringing "clean" custard apple products in particular, and safe agricultural products of the province in general to domestic and foreign markets and towards export.

Representatives of the Department of Industry and Trade, La Hien Commune People's Committee and distributors signed a memorandum of understanding on the consumption of La Hien custard apple products and other agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province.

It can be seen that the connection to consume products of custard apple orchards in particular, custard apple products and Thai Nguyen agricultural products in general on the network environment has created very positive effects. In the role of the agency assigned to preside over the activities of connecting and consuming products, the Trade Promotion Center (Department of Industry and Trade) has promoted information and propaganda work on custard apple orchards, custard apple products, agricultural products, and OCOP products of the province through local media agencies, especially on Thai Nguyen Newspapers, Radio and Television.

In particular, promoting communication and promotion through the e-commerce environment and digital technology platforms such as: Thai Nguyen product booth on Shopee e-commerce platform; social networks (Facebook, Zalo ...); communication and promotion videos on TikTok platform; news articles on the website of the Industry and Trade sector; Industry and Trade economic newsletter ...

Mr. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Director of the Trade Promotion Center (Department of Industry and Trade): In order to carry out the assigned tasks, in addition to connecting consumption on the network environment, we have strengthened the connection and coordinated the organization of product consumption connection programs at the supermarket system and commercial centers in major provinces and cities across the country. Thereby promoting and introducing custard apple products and other agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province to consumers nationwide...

Not stopping there, the Center also guides and supports connection activities for enterprises and cooperatives growing custard apples and other agricultural products to bring products to the "Thai Nguyen Product Booth" on the e-commerce platform, contributing to expanding distribution channels and digital transformation of agriculture and rural areas.

At the same time, build and effectively implement trade promotion activities; create conditions for enterprises and cooperatives to participate in trade promotion programs, connect regional product supply and demand, trade connection programs between manufacturers and distributors and trade promotion organizations to find partners and expand consumer markets.

Concerns of custard apple growers

Every year, Thai Nguyen supplies the market with about 6,000 tons of custard apples. To increase the value of custard apple trees, the province has supported people in the production, intensive cultivation, promotion, connection and consumption of products, including the construction of custard apple orchards. Thanks to that, La Hien custard apples and Thai Nguyen custard apples have become more widely known to consumers in neighboring provinces.

However, the reality is that although the selling price to consumers is quite high (from 50 to 100 thousand VND/kg), the selling price of custard apples in the garden is very low, not commensurate with the investment of custard apple growers.

Representatives of custard apple farmers and influential tiktokers on social networks participated in the livestream session "Cây custard apple number", attracting over 500,000 viewers within 2 hours.

Mr. Tran Ba Hang, a long-time custard-apple grower in Truc Mai hamlet, Vo Nhai commune, said: Currently, my family has about 1,000 custard-apple trees (equivalent to 10 custard-apple acres). During the harvest season, on a low-season day, I harvest more than 100 kg of fruit, and on a high-season day, about 300 kg of fruit. What worries us custard-apple growers the most is that the wholesale price is always very low, only from 15 to 20 thousand VND/kg, less than half of the retail price at the markets. Every day, we still have to endure the situation of traders forcing down prices... Therefore, I hope that the relevant authorities will continue to have more positive solutions to promote trade, helping custard-apple growers find stable and sustainable output...

The wish of Mr. Hang and other custard apple growers in Thai Nguyen is completely legitimate. However, in addition to the efforts and positivity of all levels and functional sectors in supporting people in promoting and consuming, especially bringing custard apple and agricultural products to supermarkets and commercial centers in and outside the province, it is necessary to have initiative from the people.

Only when the product is guaranteed in quality, produced according to organic processes, VietGAP; and safely preserved before being put on the market can it meet consumer needs...

Connecting consumption of custard apple and agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province

During 2 days (August 16 and 17), in La Hien commune, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinated with relevant units to organize a program to promote and connect the consumption of custard apple and agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province in 2025.

In addition to 20 booths of enterprises and cooperatives in the province, the Program also organizes livestreams to promote custard apple and agricultural products on digital platforms; displays and experiences products at booths; exchanges, promotes, and connects product consumption...

Not only attracting many tourists and people to visit and shop, the Program has contributed to promoting, communicating, promoting, enhancing the value, expanding the consumption market for custard apple products and agricultural products of Thai Nguyen province; strengthening the connection between supply and demand between enterprises, cooperatives, production households with the distribution system, purchasing and processing enterprises in and outside the province. From there, find partners and customers to cooperate and develop production and business, creating momentum for socio-economic development, trade and services.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202508/thai-nguyen-co-vuon-na-so-0505807/