Vietgap label model in Chieng Khoong commune, Song Ma district.

It is known that in the first 6 months of 2024, the fruit tree area of ​​Son La province still exceeded 84 thousand hectares with a total output of nearly 190 thousand tons, worth approximately 2.5 thousand billion VND. Son La province sets a target of exporting agricultural products to reach 186 million USD in 2024.

Specifically, in the first 6 months of 2024, many typical fruits and vegetables of Son La province were exported for the first time when many new markets were opened in the first 6 months of the year. Typically, at the beginning of the year, the first dragon fruits of Ngoc Hoang Agricultural Cooperative, Na Bo Commune, Mai Son District were exported to the Scottish market. Immediately after that, 5 tons of red-fleshed dragon fruit of farmers in Chieng Pha Commune, Thuan Chau District were also officially exported to the Italian market, through Ngoc Hoang Agricultural Cooperative.

Notably, most recently, 10 tons of Son La Ruby plums from the Noong Pieu indigenous agricultural cooperative, Phieng Khoai commune, Yen Chau district were exported to markets considered difficult such as Germany, England, France, and the Czech Republic with an average price of 250,000 - 300,000 VND...

In Mai Son district, up to now, the whole district has more than 11,200 hectares of fruit trees, of which more than 4,200 hectares of fruit trees apply high technology, 1,800 hectares are produced in the organic direction, 1,100 hectares are produced according to VietGAP standards... Since the beginning of the year, enterprises, cooperatives and farmers in Mai Son have harvested more than 45,000 tons of various fruits, selling domestically for more than 766 billion VND. Along with coffee, fruits of Mai Son district contribute greatly to the 31.8 million USD earned from agricultural products exported.

The sweet fruit season has come to the people with the joy of a good harvest and good prices. This year, Song Ma plans to supply the market with about 70,000 tons of fresh longan fruit.

In the first 6 months of 2024, Son La's fruit export output reached about 12.2 thousand tons, with an estimated value of nearly 82 billion VND. Some of these products have gradually become Son La's export strengths, such as mango (7.6 thousand tons), banana (4.56 thousand tons), passion fruit (37 tons)... In addition, some other "million dollar" agricultural products such as coffee, tea, and cassava are contributing to the strong growth of Son La's agriculture.

The strawberry crop in Son La province has so far reached more than 7.3 thousand tons, earning more than 502 billion VND; plums have reached nearly 50 thousand tons, earning more than 851 billion VND; longan, banana, pineapple, and mango are at the end of the season. The export target of Son La agricultural products is expected to exceed the milestone of 177.6 million USD in 2023, reaching 186 million USD in 2024, which is currently very feasible.

In recent years, people in Co Noi commune, Mai Son district (Son La) have promoted strawberry development.

Famous local round mango product in "The 5th Yen Chau Mango Festival, 2024".

Up to now, Son La province has been granted 4 codes for passion fruit growing areas.

The beautiful natural picture of Moc Chau tea hills attracts tourists.

Developing fruit trees in a sustainable direction, Son La province has now formed links between enterprises, cooperatives and households in the production, consumption and processing of agricultural products. Implementing production according to safe value chains, Son La province is maintaining and developing 166 safe fruit chains (mango, longan, plum, passion fruit, avocado, strawberry, dragon fruit...) with an area of ​​3,657 hectares, output of 44,720 tons/year. The whole province has about 40 hectares of fruit trees applying good agricultural production processes and equivalent standards. There are 30 hectares of grapefruit and hawthorn certified as organic. Up to now, Son La's products have been introduced and exported to foreign markets; nearly 20,000 tons of fruits of all kinds have been exported.

The province has many advantages and potentials for fruit tree development. In particular, the transformation from traditional agricultural production thinking to agricultural economy has brought high economic value to Son La farmers, thereby contributing to building a sustainable ecological agriculture.

With the strengths of fruit trees in Son La, there are potentials, strengths, and high economic value, helping people have a regular and stable source of income. From 2017 to now, the area of ​​land for growing fruit trees and fruit output of Son La has continuously increased, currently reaching nearly 85,000 hectares; fruit output reached 453,554 tons; an increase of 91.2% in area, 210.5% in output (307,489 tons) compared to 2017. Some main fruit trees have high commodity value and have formed concentrated production areas, such as: Longan in Song Ma and Mai Son districts; Yen Chau mango; Mai Son custard apple; plum, avocado of Moc Chau district; hawthorn of Muong La, Bac Yen, Thuan Chau.

Phi Long