Solutions to promote the effectiveness of fruit tree cultivation in the Mekong Delta

In recent times, the agricultural sector in the Mekong Delta has been promoting and guiding farmers to change crop structure and apply science and technology in production. This activity has contributed to creating safe and high-quality agricultural products. Many types of crops have brought high economic efficiency, contributing to increasing farmers' income.

Farmers in Phong Dien commune harvest durian.

Improve production efficiency

Mr. Chau Thanh Trieu's 5-hectare longan garden in Hamlet 3, Thoi Hung Commune, Can Tho City is in harvest season, traders come to buy at 30,000 VND/kg. Mr. Trieu said that this year's weather is favorable so the longan grows well, with an output of about 30 tons. Traders come to the garden so transportation and consumption are also convenient and the profit is quite high...

In 2019, Mr. Chau Thanh Trieu's family bought 5 hectares of land to grow longan. Growing longan for him is a journey of continuous effort, both learning and researching to apply new science and technology to farming. With the support of the professional sector, by 2024, he established the Song Hau High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative, with 8 members, with 14 hectares. The cooperative grows longan in an organic direction and has established a growing area code, especially exporting 20 tons of longan to the United States and China. This 2025 longan crop, after deducting farming costs, he earned a profit of about 500 million VND.

According to the People's Committee of Thoi Hung commune, Mr. Chau Thanh Trieu's family is one of the households that grow specialized fruit trees effectively. In recent times, the locality has actively implemented planning, mobilized, and encouraged farmers to convert ineffective production models to growing fruit trees with high economic efficiency. Focusing on building specialized fruit growing areas, up to now, the area of ​​fruit trees in the whole commune is 4,300 hectares specializing in longan, custard apple, mango, jackfruit, durian...

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, the city currently has over 102,000 hectares of fruit trees, with an estimated harvest output of 568,400 tons/year. In recent times, the city's agricultural sector has supported and encouraged farmers to produce according to clean processes, especially according to VietGAP standards, ensuring food safety and quality, facilitating product output; supporting farmers to link, build and form key fruit growing areas, concentrated production associated with the formation of typical branded products such as Ha Chau Phong Dien strawberries, durian, Hoa Loc Song Hau mango, longan, star apple, pineapple... with over 40,000 hectares. The city currently has 579 growing area codes with a total area of ​​9,384 hectares, with more than 8,200 participating households. Of which, 460 codes with an area of ​​more than 5,600 hectares participate in exports to Australia, Japan, China, Thailand and the EU.

Currently, localities in the Mekong Delta encourage and support farmers to process fruits in different seasons throughout the year, to avoid the situation of "good harvest, low price" and oversupply. According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), in 2025, localities in the Mekong Delta will produce fruit trees in different seasons with 5 main types such as: dragon fruit, mango, rambutan, durian and longan. The total area for spreading crops is 114,100 hectares (of which 43,300 hectares have been harvested), the total output of spreading crops is 883,900 tons, accounting for 50.3% of the total output of fruit trees in the region... Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: "Consumers increasingly prefer green and organic agricultural products. Therefore, all production seasons pay attention to this trend and farmers are supported and guided in production associated with value chain linkages to open up new opportunities for agricultural products in the region. This not only helps reduce input costs, improve quality, but also contributes to stabilizing income and improving farmers' lives, especially spreading production reduces the situation of good harvests and falling prices...".

Development support

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the estimated fruit output of the Mekong Delta in the last quarter of 2025 is quite large. Of which, oranges will be harvested at about 86,000 tons, durian at 37,000 tons, mango at 98,000 tons, jackfruit at 370,000 tons, bananas at 286,000 tons, dragon fruit at 106,000 tons, pineapple at 103,000 tons, grapefruit at 141,000 tons, longan at 43,000 tons, rambutan at 33,000 tons, tangerines at 25,000 tons... Therefore, localities need to monitor weather forecast information, natural disasters, and epidemics to support farmers in preventing and ensuring the expected harvest output.

According to the Department of Agriculture, fruit tree production has made progress, however, the linked area is still modest, production is small-scale, and the quality of agricultural products is uneven; exporting durian and some fruits to the Chinese market will face difficulties in the first months of 2025, especially when China tightens quality management and controls heavy metals, leading to slow customs clearance, and at some times, it cannot be exported, affecting domestic purchasing prices, especially at times when the price of durian in the garden is only 40-50% compared to the same period in 2024, reducing the profits of growers...

To ensure the safety and quality of fruit products in the last months of the year and in the coming time, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection requires the agricultural sector of the Mekong Delta localities to strengthen management and supervision to properly implement the orientation, specifically determine the area of ​​each type of tree through the management of the growing area associated with the construction of a system of purchasing, preliminary processing, processing, preservation and consumption. Proceed with flexible spreading of dragon fruit, durian, rambutan, longan, mango, linked with production linkage, in accordance with export market signals. Specialized agencies strengthen forecasting and updating information on consumer markets; Continue to promote assessment, issue growing area codes, and packing facility codes for crops consumed domestically and exported, especially for some fruit trees such as durian, dragon fruit, banana, jackfruit, etc. Continue to implement the program to monitor and guide safe production, trace origin, and control chemical residues, especially heavy metal residues in exported agricultural products.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh emphasized: “In addition to the above activities, localities need to coordinate with specialized agencies to review the supply resources of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to ensure quality and meet production requirements. Strengthen inspection, supervision, and strictly handle cases of trading in counterfeit and poor quality goods. Especially, pay attention to allocating local budget resources to serve production when natural disasters such as rain, flood, drought, and saltwater intrusion occur; check irrigation works, water levels of dams, irrigation capacity, repair canal systems, embankments, and field embankments to ensure irrigation water for production and promptly respond to heavy rain and floods; develop mechanisms and policies to attract and encourage businesses to invest in the agricultural sector, cooperate with farmers to build raw material areas and consume products”.

Article and photos: HA VAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/giai-phap-phat-huy-hieu-qua-canh-tac-cay-an-trai-o-dbscl-a191934.html