The project is part of a programme on supporting application and transfer of science and technology to serve the development of rural, mountainous and ethnic minority areas approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Farmers in Phuc Hoa commune (Tan Yen) check the quality of Taiwanese guava.

The People's Committee of Tan Yen district has assigned the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development to carry out the project with a total capital of nearly 12 billion VND (518,000 USD) raised from many sources. The project will end in 2020.

Dao Thu Phuong, head of the division, said that three fruit varieties applied in the project include late-ripe longan, Hoa Binh red grapefruit and Taiwanese guava. These varieties are selected from the Central Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, with yield of 15-30 percent higher than reference varieties and good quality.

To ensure the quality of seedlings, the district Division of Agriculture and Rural Development has cooperated with the Quang Trung Agricultural Production Cooperative in Lan Gioi commune and the Central Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, which is responsible for technological transfer. For the past nearly three years, the unit has provided quality seedlings as required.

In 2016, the family of Nguyen Thi Lan Quynh in Lan Thinh village, Phuc Hoa commune bravely converted more than 4,860sq.m of farmland into fruit tree growing area. After more than a year of planting Taiwan guava on a trial basis and applying new care techniques, the quality has improved markedly.

Taiwanese guava produces uniform fruits, with better appearance, fewer diseases, crunchier and sweeter flesh as compared to the old varieties and it is sold at a high price. According to Quynh, the annual guava output reaches from 2 to 2.5 tonnes per sao (360sq.m). With an average selling price of 10,000-20,000 VND per kg, after deducting the costs, growers can earn more than 20 million VND in profit each sao.

Currently the area of Taiwanese guava in the district is 160 ha, concentrating in the communes of Cao Thuong, Hop Duc and Phuc Hoa. This variety is very suitable to local soil so the fruit is sweet, with thick flesh and few seeds. After each harvest, farmers cut the top of the trees to make them bear fruit all year round.

In addition to guava, a number of other fruit trees have also been grown by locals in the district, such as grapefruit, longan and orange which are suitable to the local climate and soil conditions and bring in high economic efficiency.

Up to now, the works have been implemented in 11 communes in the project area such as improving the network of net houses for seedling production; completing the irrigation system; and building a propagation model.

The total production area in the project is 90 hectares, including 40 ha for the newly grown late-ripe longan, 10 ha renovated to replace the old ones; 30 ha for Hoa Binh red grapefruit and 10 ha for Taiwanese guava.

The project transfers 11 technological processes and supports people in the project area’s communes in application of technologies such as propagation, grafting, planting and intensive farming. 

During the implementation process, the managing unit - the provincial Department of Science and Technology, has regularly sent officials to monitor and inspect the progress. So far, the agency has well performed its task, fulfilling the set targets.

To make the project really effective, the district Division of Agriculture and Rural Development is working with localities in the area planned for growing fruit trees to increase the areas of Taiwanese guava, red grapefruit and late-ripe longan. At the same time, it will organize training courses to guide people to follow VietGAP process.

In the long term, the district will focus on branding to affirm its brands and product quality, thus finding stable markets for fruit trees on Tan Yen land.

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