The "hundred-million-dollar tree" finds its way to the semi-mountainous region of Nghe An.
(Baonghean.vn) - Located in a semi-mountainous area, Thanh Long commune in Thanh Chuong district has over 100 hectares of arable land, mostly consisting of sand dunes. In recent years, residents of Thanh Long commune have been growing Telosma cordata flowers, generating high income.
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| Residents of Thanh Long commune, Thanh Chuong district, cultivate jasmine flowers commercially. Photo: Dinh Ha. |
Every three days, Ms. Hoang Thi Tuyen from Hamlet 13, Thanh Long Commune, Thanh Chuong District, goes to her field to harvest the flowers of the Chinese honeysuckle vine. She said that on this nearly one-acre plot of land, she previously rotated crops such as corn, beans, and peanuts; but for the past three years, with guidance from farmers' and women's associations, her family has completely switched to growing Chinese honeysuckle, which provides a higher income and reduces the labor involved in planting and caring for the plants.
Ms. Tuyen shared:Daylily flowers are a crop that is planted once and harvested for many years, with a harvest season lasting nearly 9 months, from February to October. Estimated yield is about 400 kg per sao (approximately 1000 square meters) per harvest, with an average price currently reaching 30,000-35,000 VND/kg. In one harvest season, one sao can yield 10-12 million VND, so one hectare can generate over 200 million VND per year. Therefore, locals have nicknamed this crop the "hundred-million-VND crop".
Besides Ms. Tuyen, many other households in Thanh Long commune have successfully grown Telosma cordata. Typical examples include the households of Mr. Bui Van Quang, Mr. Vo Van Xuan, Mr. Hoang Dinh Them in Hamlet 13, and Mr. Hoang Van Ba in Hamlet 11… each household has 1-3 sao (approximately 1000-3000 square meters) of Telosma cordata, earning an additional few tens of millions of dong each year.
The Chinese honeysuckle (Telosma cordata) is a familiar plant to the people, but in the past, it was mainly grown as an ornamental plant in small quantities. Since it began to be grown commercially, the people of Thanh Long commune have paid attention to the technical aspects, physiological characteristics, care, and harvesting methods. Recognizing its value as a crop that has been well-received by the people, the commune's organizations and associations have promoted and expanded its cultivation. To date, the total area of Chinese honeysuckle cultivation in Thanh Long commune has reached over 4 hectares.
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| The Chinese trumpet vine is well-suited to the soil of Thanh Chuong. Photo: Dinh Ha. |
The fact that people are investing in growing a lot of jasmine flowers has also created opportunities for some households to invest in businesses, opening agencies to purchase and sell them.
With its outstanding advantages of being easy to grow, drought-tolerant, easy to care for, resistant to pests and diseases, harvested for many years after a single planting, high yield, low investment cost, and stable high price, the Chinese honeysuckle plant is truly a suitable crop for dune and high-lying soils - a type of soil that is readily available not only in Thanh Long commune but also in many communes in the district.
