Ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas of Son La province are switching to different crops on their hillside fields.

Along National Highways 6, 279D, or 4GSon La provinceEverywhere we go, we can find lush green orchards on the hillsides and valleys. Thanks to the greenery of these fruit trees, the ethnic minority people in the highlands of Son La have risen out of poverty, stabilized their lives, and built sustainable agriculture.

For the family of Mr. Luong Van Muoi, a member of the Thai ethnic group, born and raised in Chieng Khoong district, Son La province, their economy, like many other households in the village, previously depended mainly on corn and cassava grown on the hillside. "Good harvest years meant low prices, good years meant poor harvests," and thus poverty and hunger constantly plagued them.

Mango orchards are planted on sloping land in Son La. Photo: Van Ngoc

However, since the policy of planting fruit trees on sloping land was implemented, and with the encouragement and promotion from various levels and sectors, along with participation in training courses and conferences on fruit tree development, Mr. Muoi's family has boldly converted their less productive corn and cassava fields to longan cultivation. As a result, his family has a more stable income and has risen out of poverty.

Mr. Luong Van Muoi's longan orchard covers about 5 hectares, situated on a high hillside. This area used to be part of his parents' farmland, where he grew corn and cassava to make a living. Initially, Mr. Muoi only dared to try planting 1.3 hectares of the late-ripening Hung Yen longan variety, learning and accumulating experience as he went. When he saw the high yield, he expanded production to the entire 5 hectares.

"Before, my family was struggling, lacking even the daily necessities of food and clothing. Since switching to growing longan trees and receiving technical support from the government, we've had a bountiful harvest every year. Every harvest season, traders come to buy the fruit directly from the orchard, providing my family with a stable income," Mr. Mười shared.

The orchard of the Luong Van Muoi family, of the Thai ethnic group, in Chieng Khoong, Son La province. Photo: Van Ngoc

Meanwhile, in Muong Bu commune, one of the localities with a large area of ​​fruit trees in Son La province, thanks to the promotion of fruit tree development, the people here have achieved stable incomes and risen to prosperity. To develop fruit trees sustainably, this locality has implemented specific solutions.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hiep, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Bu commune, said: "In recent years, the commune has propagated and encouraged people to choose crops suitable to local conditions such as mangoes, jackfruit, apples, lychees, bananas... We coordinate with specialized agencies to organize training and guide techniques for caring for fruit trees, producing according to organic and VietGAP standards, changing the mindset and production methods of farmers, gradually building brands, and expanding domestic and export markets."

To date, Muong Bu commune has over 3,400 hectares of various fruit trees, producing more than 20,000 tons of fruit per year. The lives of the people have gradually improved, and the poverty rate has decreased to 4.25%.

Thanks to fruit tree cultivation, the people of Muong Bu commune have a stable income. Photo: Van Ngoc

Fruit trees help the ethnic minorities in Son La province to prosper.

During the period 2016-2025, Son La province has converted and planted nearly 62,000 hectares of fruit trees, raising the total area of ​​existing fruit trees and hawthorn to 85,000 hectares. The estimated fruit production in 2025 is 510,000 tons, making Son La the province with the largest fruit tree area in the North and the second largest in the country. The production value per hectare of fruit trees reaches 150-300 million VND/year; some exemplary models achieve 400-500 million VND/hectare/year, an increase of 4-10 times compared to 2016 (from 110-430 million VND/hectare).

Son La province has established 201 fruit value chains covering a total area of ​​over 4,500 hectares; 335 businesses and cooperatives are involved in fruit cultivation, covering nearly 9,400 hectares. Notably, 2,200 hectares of fruit trees utilize water-saving irrigation systems; over 4,750 hectares are certified to VietGAP and equivalent standards; 218 planting area codes and 31 branded agricultural and food products have been registered, including 14 fruit products that have been granted protection certificates by the Intellectual Property Office. Son La has also been recognized with 8 high-tech application zones for cultivation and 59 fruit products have been certified as OCOP products.

The province's fruit products are gradually building their brand in both domestic and international markets, participating in the export value chain. From 2017 to 2025, Son La fruits have been exported to 15 countries with a volume of over 158,000 tons. In addition, the province has actively attracted businesses to invest in fruit and vegetable processing plants.

The province currently has 560 factories and agricultural processing facilities, including 17 large factories and 543 smaller establishments; over 2,994 facilities for drying longan and other agricultural products, and 40 cold storage facilities. There are 59 OCOP (One Commune One Product) products produced and processed from fruit. The selling price of fruit products continues to remain stable at a high level, contributing to improving farmers' incomes, creating more jobs, and developing the local economy and society.

Fruit trees help ethnic minority communities in Son La province earn a stable income. Photo: Van Ngoc

At the conference summarizing 10 years of implementing the policy of planting fruit trees on sloping land, Mr. Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee, affirmed: Fruit trees have brought stable income to people in the area, contributing to promoting the economic development of the locality.

The Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee requested that the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, all levels of Party committees, the government, the Fatherland Front, and political and social organizations pay attention to leading, directing, and encouraging the development of fruit trees towards green, organic, and circular agriculture. He urged a strong shift from building fruit supply chains to developing value chains for the entire industry. He emphasized connecting stakeholders in the chain based on principles of transparency, responsibility, and shared benefits according to their contribution. He also stressed strengthening the linkage of the six stakeholders (farmers - the state - businesses - banks - scientists - distributors), with the core being the farmer-business linkage.

Son La province will continue to build and develop concentrated fruit growing areas effectively; apply science and technology, promote digital transformation, restructure production, and implement synchronized mechanization to improve processing and preservation capabilities for fruit according to production linkage models along the value chain, linked to quality standards of the raw material areas. It will build a safe fruit value chain, implement programs and projects to assign planting area codes and trace the origin of the province's fruit products. In particular, it will link the development of concentrated fruit growing areas with the development of ecotourism.

Son La will also continue to research and issue mechanisms and policies to encourage and attract businesses, cooperatives, and people to invest in fruit tree development in the province. It will develop the fruit processing industry, prioritizing support for fruit products with advantages in the province and meeting export requirements. It will also establish several industrial and service zones to support fruit production, linking fruit production areas with fruit processing and trade.

Fruit-growing area in Chiềng Khoong commune, Sơn La province. Photo: Văn Ngọc

Invest in improving processing, preservation, and logistics services for key fruit-growing regions, focusing on the province's flagship fruit products. Enhance the effectiveness of systems connecting and promoting fruit product consumption; diversify distribution and consumption channels to ensure sustainability and stability, prioritizing the development of e-commerce, digital transformation, and the application of artificial intelligence. Focus on developing the domestic fruit market, maintaining stability in traditional markets, and expanding and diversifying export markets.

With strategic directions and continuous efforts, Son La is asserting its position as the "fruit capital" of the North, bringing prosperity and sustainable lives to ethnic minority communities.