The journey to become the leading longan orchard in the country

From a province with no outstanding agricultural features, Son La now has about 85 thousand hectares of fruit trees and hawthorn, ranking second in the country in terms of fruit tree area. Among them, Son La longan is known to many consumers and has been exported to the EU market and Asian countries...

The main markets of Son La longan products are the EU and China markets.

From a correct policy

Currently, Son La province has nearly 20 thousand hectares of longan cultivation in communes and wards with an output of about 15 thousand tons, of which the focus is in Song Ma district with 7,600 hectares with an output of more than 80 thousand tons (now the communes of Chieng Khuong, Chieng Cang, Chieng Khoong, Na Nghiu and Chieng So...), where in the 60s of the last century, longan trees were planted in Song Ma by Hung Yen people who reclaimed the new economic zone. Over many years, with favorable climatic conditions, fertile land and good cultivation, longan trees quickly took root, giving high yields with famous delicious longan fruits...

According to Mr. Hoang Van Chat, former Secretary of Son La Provincial Party Committee, in 2015, the Standing Committee of Son La Provincial Party Committee issued Notice No. 121 on a number of policies on growing fruit trees on sloping land, including longan trees. The Provincial People's Council has issued a policy to support households in grafting and renovating mixed gardens. Son La has also piloted a 70% funding support for the drip irrigation model combined with soluble fertilizers, thereby creating motivation for ethnic minorities to actively convert crops. This is an important basis for Son La to develop fruit trees in general, in which longan trees alone are currently leading the country in both output and area.

From the right policies, promoting the advantages of longan cultivation along with the creativity in farming techniques of farmers, new longan varieties with high productivity and quality have been introduced to replace old longan varieties. Along with that is the participation of scientists in transferring technical advances and connecting the market. Thanks to that, longan trees in Son La have gradually become a high-value commodity crop, helping to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, and enrich the people in the highlands of Son La.

Develop potential

Mr. Luong Van Muoi, Chieng Khoong commune, Song Ma border district, Son La province, who was honored with the title of outstanding Vietnamese farmer, shared: The ecological conditions of Son La in general, and Song Ma district (old) in particular, are very suitable for longan trees to grow vegetatively and reproductively. With the advantages of specific climate, Son La longan trees reduce the need to use pesticides to prevent pests and diseases, especially anthracnose disease that damages flowers, flower stalks, and young fruits on the tree.

Through discussions with longan growers and experts in Son La, it is known that: Because longan trees in Son La are mainly grown on sloping hills and low groundwater levels, they can be considered as "naturally watered", helping the trees to differentiate flower stalks instead of having to girdle branches, block roots, and stop watering to stimulate flowering like longan varieties grown in the lowlands or in low-lying areas. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province, said: The province has many policies and guidelines to support the planting, consumption and export of longan. Thanks to its potential advantages, longan grown in Son La is easy to cultivate in an organic or VietGAP way and Son La has become a large longan granary in the country.

To continue increasing the area of ​​longan cultivation, improve the quality and output of the largest longan orchard in the country, in addition to promoting advantages and having support policies, Son La province is continuing to focus on directing the application of technological advances to production. At the same time, increasing processing and spreading the harvest by measures to produce off-season fruit...

Son La province currently has 108 growing area codes and more than 17 thousand hectares of longan for harvest.

Ngoc Tuan

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-tro-thanh-vua-nhan-dung-dau-ca-nuoc-post910387.html