Chiềng Hặc commune is a mango-producing region for export.

Yen Chau has nearly 3,300 hectares of mango orchards, producing nearly 15,000 tons per year, mainly round mangoes, fragrant mangoes, Australian mangoes, and Taiwanese mangoes (GL4). Of these, 207 hectares have been certified VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic; 298 hectares have been granted planting area codes for export to markets in China, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand.

Mango cultivation in the district is mainly concentrated in the communes of Chiềng Pằn, Chiềng Hặc, Sặp Vạt, and Tú Nang. Of these, Chiềng Hặc commune has the largest mango area in the district with 800 hectares. The commune, in coordination with specialized agencies of the district, has planned and developed a specialized mango cultivation area; reviewed and implemented planting and improvement according to the plan; strengthened land consolidation to create concentrated areas; and provided training and technology transfer on mango cultivation and care to local people along the value chain to build and establish a high-tech mango production area. At the same time, it has encouraged households to form cooperatives, cultivate mangoes according to the standards required by partners and customers, and oriented the market to ensure the highest possible value for mango products.

The Chiềng Hặc Safe Agriculture Cooperative has installed an automatic irrigation system for its mango orchard.

In Chiềng Hặc commune, there are three cooperatives specializing in mango cultivation and sales: Chiềng Hặc Safe Agriculture Cooperative, Nà Ngà Agriculture Cooperative, and Quyết Thắng Huổi Nga Agriculture Cooperative. These cooperatives have signed production linkage contracts with 144 households in four villages: Nà Ngà, Huổi Sét, Huổi Mong, and Văng Lùng, covering a total area of ​​nearly 308 hectares within the linkage zone.

The Chiềng Hặc Safe Agricultural Cooperative, located in Văng Lùng village, was established in 2017. Starting with 5 hectares of mango trees, the cooperative has now expanded its mango cultivation area to 159 hectares, partnering with 64 households in the region, becoming a major specialized mango growing area in Yên Châu district.

The mango processing line system of Chiềng Hặc Safe Agriculture Cooperative.

Mr. Ha Van Son, Director of Chieng Hac Safe Agricultural Cooperative, shared: The mango variety that the cooperative has introduced is the Taiwanese mango (GL4), an imported variety with high yield. The cooperative has transferred techniques to its members and affiliated households for practical application in production, such as: pruning and shaping; regularly monitoring the shoots and leaves of the trees, adjusting the nutritional regime appropriately; using pesticides according to the "4 correct principles", combined with the use of safe biological products and natural insect predators to protect the crops.

Furthermore, the Chieng Hac Safe Agriculture Cooperative has invested in a preliminary processing line equipped with surveillance cameras to facilitate traceability and ensure product export. Initially, the cooperative used drones to monitor the growth and development of mango trees, especially the disease situation and irrigation water availability in each area. Annually, the average mango production reaches over 4,000 tons, with a yield of 15 tons/ha and an average selling price of 10,000 VND/kg. The income of mango-growing households ranges from 140-185 million VND/ha.

Quyet Thang Huoi Nga Agricultural Cooperative bags mangoes for export.

Meanwhile, at the Quyet Thang Huoi Nga Agricultural Cooperative in Huoi Nga village, Chieng Hac commune, 9 hectares of mangoes have been certified VietGAP, and the cooperative has established a production and product distribution system for farmers with nearly 80 hectares of mangoes, exporting them to China, Australia, and the United States.

Mr. Lo Van Kim, Director of the Cooperative, shared: In 2024, the cooperative exported nearly 500 tons of mangoes, of which over 250 tons were exported to China, generating revenue of over 4 billion VND. The cooperative applies scientific and technical methods, strictly adheres to production processes, installs an automatic irrigation system, and keeps a care log. The cooperative encourages households to bag 100% of their mangoes to reduce the invasion of fungal diseases, increase fruit quality, and boost yield by 20-30%...

Taiwanese mangoes are packaged for export to China.

The cooperatives in the mango-producing area of ​​Chiềng Hặc commune all apply sprinkler and drip irrigation systems combined with automatic fertilization. Farmers use weather forecasting software and plant protection product applications from the Department of Plant Protection to monitor the pesticides and fertilizers licensed in Vietnam; they also have cameras to monitor the smart irrigation system during mango tree care. The cooperatives also access web applications.https://farmdiary.online/To monitor the management of planting area codes and maintain logbooks as required, the landscape environment is ensured. In the mango production area of ​​the commune, 11 storage tanks for used pesticide packaging have been installed for proper disposal.

The synchronized implementation of various scientific and technical solutions has contributed to improving the quality and yield of mangoes, meeting the stringent requirements of both domestic and export markets. By the end of 2024, the entire mango production area of ​​the three cooperatives in Chiềng Hặc commune was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a high-tech application zone. This serves as a driving force for the cooperatives to move towards building a sustainable agricultural system.

In 2024, the entire district had two agricultural areas recognized for applying high technology: the longan production area in Long Phieng commune and the mango production area in Chieng Hac commune.

Mr. Lo The Thi, Vice Chairman of the Yen Chau District People's Committee, said: The district has propagated and raised people's awareness of the meaning and importance of applying science to production; provided technical guidance on planting and caring for fruit trees; supported machinery for preliminary processing, and linked to finding markets for fruit products.

Being recognized as a high-tech agricultural zone affirms the efforts of local authorities and serves as an important foundation for cooperatives and farmers to boost production towards a commodity-based approach and expand consumer markets. Accordingly, to improve the quality, value, and brand of Yen Chau mangoes in the market, cooperatives and mango growers in Yen Chau district in general, and Chieng Hac commune in particular, are focusing on applying science and technology, introducing new varieties into production, contributing to increased agricultural value and income for the people.

Source: Son La Newspaper