As a pioneer in restructuring crop cultivation in Hua Tat village, Van Ho commune, Mr. Trang A Cao boldly shifted to commercial production and introduced high-quality crop varieties. Currently, he cultivates 2 hectares of mandarin oranges, 1 hectare of tomatoes, 1 hectare of persimmons, and has also diligently cultivated 1 hectare of Tai Nung pears.

Boldly transform the crop structure.

According to Mr. Cao, he had previously grown pomelos and oranges on the plateau, but without success. Five years ago, he boldly cut down his heavily laden lemon and pomelo orchards to plant pear trees in Hua Tat.

"After repeatedly planting and cutting down trees, I suffered too many losses. Introducing the Tai Nung pear variety is another gamble with fate," Mr. Cao said.

Mr. Trang A Cao boldly cut down his heavily laden lemon and pomelo orchards to plant pear trees in Hua Tat.

In its third year, the Tai Nung pear orchard began to bear its first fruits. The following year, the pear trees were fully harvested, each one laden with fruit. To ensure the pear trees thrive, Mr. Cao regularly pruned and shaped them, and applied organic fertilizer. He also installed an automatic irrigation system. Around the base of the trees, he planted pumpkins and taro to retain moisture.

According to Mr. Cao, last year 120 out of 400 Tai Nung pear trees yielded a harvest. Each tree is estimated to produce about 20kg of fruit. With a selling price of 60,000 VND/kg, the entire pear harvest in the orchard was bought up by tourists.

Pear trees are easy to grow, easy to care for, and well-suited to the soil of the Moc Chau plateau. Mr. Cao also persistently cultivates pears organically. As a result, his pear orchard always fetches a good price and sells easily.

Because the Tai Nung pear trees are grown organically, the fruit is of significantly higher quality and flavor. Mr. Cao is also planning to build trellises for the Tai Nung pear trees. He will shape and style the trees so that tourists visiting the orchard will have the best photo opportunities.

Mr. Cao's pear orchard is highly regarded by the commune's leadership. It not only brings economic value but also opens up new development opportunities for the local people.

Reportedly, Mr. Cao gathered his brothers and relatives in the village to establish the A Cao Agricultural Cooperative, with himself as Director and 7 members, aiming to support members and villagers in replicating effective agricultural models.

Currently, the A Cao Agricultural Cooperative has a stable annual harvest of high-quality, high-priced products such as sweet oranges (averaging 50,000 VND), crunchy persimmons (40,000 VND), strawberries (100,000 VND), and Tai Nung pears (40,000 VND). Thanks to this, its members have a stable income.

Establish a cooperative to develop the model.

The Tai Nung pear variety has not only taken root in Van Ho district but has also developed in many other localities in Son La province. Phieng Khoai commune has the advantage of a cool climate and fertile soil, suitable for pear tree cultivation. From 1,000 Tai Nung pear trees successfully planted experimentally in Con Huot 1 village, the people in the commune have now expanded and developed the cultivation to over 70 hectares.

Tai Nung pears grown in Phieng Khoai have an attractive appearance, are round and even, have thin, crisp skin, a sweet and refreshing taste, and a distinctive aroma. The pear trees usually flower around February, and the harvest takes place from the end of May to mid-July. They are favored by consumers for their sweetness, low fiber content, refreshing taste, and organic farming practices.

As the first household in Phiêng Khoài commune to plant pear trees, Ms. Đinh Thị Mây from Cồn Huốt 1 village shared: In 2014, after visiting a pear cultivation model in Lào Cai, she decided to plant 1,000 Tai Nung pear trees. By mid-2018, the first harvest of pears came in, with every tree heavily laden with large, round, juicy fruit, yielding over 700 kg. Selling at 40,000 VND/kg, she earned nearly 30 million VND. Her family has expanded to 6 hectares, harvesting over 30 tons of fruit annually, selling at 40,000-60,000 VND/kg depending on the type of fruit, bringing in approximately 600 million VND.

Recognizing the high economic efficiency and good market demand, since 2021, Ms. Dinh Thi May has collaborated with households in the area to expand pear cultivation and establish the Kien Cuong Cooperative. Currently, the cooperative has 10 members, jointly producing pears on over 60 hectares according to VietGAP standards.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, a member of the cooperative, joining the cooperative has guided his family in installing a water-saving irrigation system, using organic fertilizers and biological products, and caring for and bagging the fruit. As a result, his family's pears have an attractive appearance, a rich, sweet, and crisp taste; traders come directly to the orchard to buy them as soon as they are harvested. With 2 hectares of pear trees, his family expects to harvest about 17 tons of fruit this year.

To ensure product output, the cooperative also handles preliminary processing, sorting, and labeling with traceability tags, and supports farmers in bringing their products to e-commerce platforms such as TikTok and Buudien.vn… This not only helps pear growers expand their market but also increases the value of their products. In 2024, the cooperative exported over 100 tons of pears nationwide, generating nearly 4 billion VND in total revenue.

"Customers are now very concerned about the origin of agricultural products. Each order has a QR code for traceability, guaranteeing safe farming practices, which is why we are gaining more and more customer trust," said Ms. Dinh Thi May.

Mr. Le Van Duc, a businessman from Hanoi, who has been involved in the consumption of Phieng Khoai pears for over 3 years, said: "I learned about Tai Nung pears through a friend's recommendation. When I tried them, I was very impressed by their sweet and crisp taste. After that, I went to the commune to survey the area and signed a contract to purchase agricultural products with Kien Cuong Cooperative. On average, I buy 20 tons of fruit per season."

Tai Nung pears from Kien Cuong Cooperative are labeled with QR codes for traceability.

According to representatives of the commune's People's Committee, the entire commune currently has over 70 hectares of pear orchards, with an estimated yield of over 150 tons this year. Currently, about 70% of the production has been contracted for purchase by individuals and businesses and is being sold on e-commerce platforms.

Furthermore, aiming for sustainable development, farmers have learned to form groups of households and apply organic farming techniques, ensuring that the pears are always safe.

Main crops

According to provincial leaders, although Tai Nung pear trees have only recently been introduced to the communes and the planted area is still relatively small, in recent years the pear tree has gradually asserted its position. Thanks to its guaranteed quality, the pear product is easily sold and is favored by consumers inside and outside the province. This has opened up new economic development opportunities for farmers, bringing stable income to many families.

Statistics show that Son La province has reduced the poverty rate to 10%, with an average decrease of more than 3% per year during the 2021–2025 period.

Recognizing Tai Nung pears as a key crop suitable for the local soil and climate conditions, contributing to poverty reduction, the province announced plans to develop an agricultural tourism model linked to the pear flowering and harvesting seasons; and to participate in agricultural markets to attract investors to process and purchase the fruit, thereby improving product quality and increasing income for local people.

In addition, we will coordinate with the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and the provincial Cooperative Alliance to support the establishment of more cooperatives to help people stabilize their output. At the same time, we will organize training courses to guide farmers on effective pear cultivation methods to achieve high yields.

It is known that in Yen Son commune, some households previously planted pear trees, but because they let the trees grow naturally, although they bore a lot of fruit, the fruit was small and sold for only 7,000-10,000 VND/kg. When pear trees were widely planted, farmers participated in training courses organized by the commune in coordination with the Provincial Cooperative Union, helping them apply the correct methods of care and fruit bagging. Now, the fruit is larger, more beautiful, and sells for a higher price.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thai's family in Kim Son 1 village has 0.5 hectares of pear trees currently being harvested. Mr. Thai shared: "Since 2018, my family has been grafting and applying pruning techniques to promote healthy tree growth. Thanks to good technical measures and pest control, especially fruit bagging, the pears are no longer affected by skin blemishes or insect damage, and the yield reached 6 tons. Since the beginning of the season, many traders have come directly to the orchard to buy pears at 25,000-40,000 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, last year's pear harvest brought in nearly 100 million VND."