Statistics ofSon La provinceshows,agricultural productsIn recent years, this locality has held a leading position nationwide, especially in fruit cultivation. The total area of ​​fruit trees in the province as of the first nine months of 2024 reached 83,757 hectares. Of this, the area for harvesting is 63,207 hectares, with an estimated yield of over 379,000 tons.

The fruit trees grown in Son La all have large yields, such as 6,500 hectares of bananas, producing over 59,500 tons; 12,400 hectares of plums, with an estimated yield of 78,200 tons; nearly 19,700 hectares of mangoes, with a yield of nearly 77,800 tons; 20,000 hectares of longan, with an estimated yield of 72,000 tons,...

Na Mai Son is an agricultural product that brings high economic efficiency to local farmers. Photo: baosonla.org.vn

Among the various fruit trees, custard apple has become the "golden agricultural product" of Son La, leading in economic efficiency with 972 hectares of custard apple orchards and a production of over 7,100 tons. This is due to ideal climatic and soil conditions combined with the high-skilled farming techniques of local farmers, making custard apple superior to other fruit trees.

Mai Son district can be considered the custard apple capital of Son La province. With a planting and harvesting area of ​​790 hectares and 500 hectares respectively, accounting for over 80%, the projected custard apple production in Mai Son in 2024 is approximately over 6,700 tons; mainly concentrated in the communes of Co Noi, Hat Lot, Na Bo and Hat Lot town.

The ideal climate and soil conditions, combined with advanced farming techniques, have transformed Mai Son custard apples into a product with outstanding yields. (Photo: Danviet.vn)

The people in these communes mainly grow three main varieties of custard apple: the firm-fleshed variety, the Thai variety, and the durian-flavored variety. Of these, the area planted with the firm-fleshed variety is decreasing, being replaced by grafted Thai and durian-flavored varieties on the firm-fleshed variety's rootstock.

Among these communes, Co Noi has the largest area of ​​custard apple cultivation in Mai Son district, with over 400 hectares, of which 200 hectares are for harvesting, including 5 hectares grown organically and 195 hectares using high-tech methods; the fruit yield reaches 3,000 tons/year.

For custard apple trees, the harvesting season for the firm-fleshed variety lasts from July to September; Thai custard apples are harvested from July to December, and durian-shaped custard apples from August to January of the following year. Currently, farmers are focusing on pruning thin branches, diseased branches, and small branches to create better air circulation for the custard apple trees. Healthy branches are left intact to process the fruit growing on the trunk.

Besides the fertile soil suitable for cultivation, the techniques of the local farmers are also a sufficient factor that makes custard apples from Son La the leading producer in the country. To achieve a high fruit setting rate, farmers have been guided on custard apple tree care techniques and spray pesticides according to the "four correct principles". Especially important is the custard apple cultivation process according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards.

Since the beginning of the year, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mai Son district has coordinated with communes and towns to organize nearly 70 training courses, guiding people on techniques for caring for custard apple trees and other fruit trees for over 3,500 participants.

With updated farming techniques applied before, during, and after harvest, the economic value of custard apple trees is being affirmed in Mai Son district. Revenue from each hectare of custard apple trees in the district can reach 1 billion VND for families with good techniques. Generally, the profit after deducting all costs for custard apple trees per hectare usually ranges around 200 million VND for the regular variety and 300-350 million VND for the Thai variety. As for the durian-shaped custard apple, its economic value is very high, but it is still new and the planted area is small, so there are no specific figures available yet.

The Mai Son custard apple brand was recognized as early as August 2018 when the People's Committee of Mai Son district organized the ceremony to announce the certified trademark "Mai Son custard apple". This was an important milestone for custard apple growers in Mai Son. To date, Mai Son custard apples have established their brand and enhanced their competitiveness with similar products on the market.

Nevertheless, the local people still need to actively seek solutions to expand their consumer market, find more outlets for their products, and bring custard apples to the international market, especially to large countries with high fruit consumption such as China, Australia, and the United States.

In principle, Mai Son district remains committed to continuing to promote intensive farming, introducing new varieties and applying scientific advancements to production, and forming concentrated raw material areas to increase productivity and product quality. This will increase value and competitiveness in the market, meeting the growing demands of consumers and for export.

On the other hand, Mai Son district is continuing to implement solutions to connect consumption and apply digital technology in promoting and selling products. This creates conditions for cooperatives, production households, and key business units to meet, understand needs, and sign product consumption contracts, contributing to the expansion of the "Mai Son custard apple" brand and its competitiveness in the domestic and export markets.

Source: congthuong.vn