Encourage farmers to switch to suitable crops

Bung Lao commune leaders evaluate the effectiveness of the pineapple planting model in Hong Sot village.

Bung Lao commune was established on the basis of merging three communes, so currently the commune has specialized areas including: 767 hectares of coffee, 205 hectares of macadamia, 10.6 hectares of tea, 250 hectares of fruit trees... The main food crops are rice and corn, however, due to low cultivation techniques and erratic climate, productivity is low. Rice and corn growers often face the risk of crop failure due to natural disasters and pests.

But the pineapple tree is different, because this is a hard-leafed tree with few pests and diseases. Since the trial planting on Bung Lao land, the tree has proven its tenacious and healthy vitality, with long, dark green leaves. Although it has only been planted for a few months, some areas have begun to bear fruit.

Mr. Tu Quang Ha - the pioneer who brought honey pineapple trees to plant in Hong Sot village said: Realizing the potential of the land, with the companionship and support of the Bung Lao commune government, at the end of 2024, my family decided to buy seedlings to plant on an area of nearly 50 hectares. Although the time is not long, but with the actual growth rate of the tree, experts said that there is a basis to determine that honey pineapple trees are suitable for this land.

Currently, the entire pineapple area in Hong Sot village is growing evenly, in which a part of the planted area has already produced fruit. According to calculations, if 50 hectares of pineapple achieve an average yield of 50 tons/ha with a selling price ranging from 6,000-7,000 VND/kg, the entire area (50 hectares) will bring in billions of dong in profit.

Appreciating the way of doing things and the decisiveness of Mr. Tu Quang Ha when he boldly invested capital to bring new seedlings to plant according to the project of converting the crop structure, the working delegation of Bung Lao commune all agreed with the opinion: Honey pineapple is completely suitable for the soil, is a crop favored by the market, and has high economic value. "The honey pineapple growing model is considered an important initial step for the locality to consider supplementing the planning of the growing area and expanding it in the area in the coming time", Mr. Kieu Xuan Hoang added.

According to Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bung Lao Commune Kieu Xuan Hoang, honey pineapple is a drought-resistant plant, requires little care, and is suitable for the sloping land conditions of Bung Lao. Converting ineffective upland land to growing honey pineapple will help farmers here take advantage of the land potential, opening up a direction for large-scale commodity production associated with systematic processing and consumption of products.

As the second commune of Muong Ang district (formerly) to complete all 19 new rural criteria, from July 1, 2025, Bung Lao entered a new journey after merging three communes to establish the new Bung Lao commune with a natural area of more than 145 km2, a population of nearly 20,000 people in 39 villages and hamlets. According to comrade Ta Manh Cuong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bung Lao commune, in addition to the advantages of key crop areas, hard-working farmers, and abundant labor resources, Bung Lao's special advantage is its favorable geo-economic position along National Highway 279 and in the future, there will be an intersection with the Son La-Dien Bien expressway. Bung Lao is determined to focus on developing specialized agriculture and forestry according to concentrated commodity production areas; prioritize attracting investment in agricultural product gathering centers to send to processing factories in the vicinity.

In the coming time, Bung Lao will focus on restructuring agriculture associated with building new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, development towards concentrated, safe, organic goods and value chain linkage. From the honey pineapple model in Hong Sot village, the commune will step up propaganda, encourage farmers to boldly switch crops, and pay attention to supporting farmers in terms of techniques and capital. Particularly with honey pineapple, Bung Lao has oriented to expand the area and encourage farmers to grow according to the "farmer - enterprise" linkage method to ensure stable output.

According to Mr. Kieu Xuan Hoang, Mr. Tu Quang Ha's family has planned to expand the area of honey pineapple to about 200 hectares, aiming at concentrated commodity production, with stable consumption links when the pineapples are ready to be harvested. This is also a practical basis, an important premise for the commune to plan the appropriate pineapple growing area for each locality, ensuring favorable production and consumption so that Bung Lao farmers have more opportunities to get rich sustainably...

Article and photos: LE LAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khuyen-khich-nong-dan-chuyen-doi-cay-trong-phu-hop-post916155.html