Nghia Dan farmers build clean guava brand

The guava tree first took root in Nghia Son commune. Currently, farmers here have planted nearly 100 hectares of guava on the commune's land and rented land in neighboring areas.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Hong - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghia Son commune, the best land for growing guava is mixed rocky soil (black-green rock), then red gravel soil, white soil, and red basalt soil, which has higher productivity but the guava is not as sweet as the above types of soil. That is why many areas of land on the hillside have been converted by people to grow guava. As a result, thanks to the quality of the soil, the guava is sweeter.

Nghia Dan farmers cover guavas when they are still small to prevent pests and diseases. Photo: Dinh Thuy

Instead of letting guava produce fruit seasonally, leading to massive consumption and price pressure, gardeners in Nghia Dan now know how to make guava trees produce fruit all year round by pruning branches, pruning fruit, creating canopy to control height... Therefore, guava growers are likened to "raising young children" because every day they have to be present in the guava garden to harvest, wrap fruit, prune branches, and water. The current guava price fluctuates from 10 to 25 thousand VND/kg depending on the time. Mr. Hoang Xuan Anh - one of the first people to grow guava in Nghia Son said: his family grows 14 sao of guava, each year they harvest about 18 tons, the guava price sometimes drops, but compared to other crops, the value is higher.

Guavas are often more expensive from the third year onwards because they are crispier and sweeter. As a person who works closely with guava farmers, Mr. Tran Quoc Hong - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghia Son commune said: Currently, some guava gardens have signs of purple leaves and red-spotted fruits, which are signs of root blister disease - there is currently no cure, and when the disease is severe, the only way is to destroy the tree.

19/5 Agricultural Service Cooperative (Nghia Dan) discussed with producers about guava quality. Photo: Minh Thai

Guava buyers often tell each other that “spotted” guavas are sweeter. But in reality, guavas with red spots may be signs of disease. When the disease is still mild, the fruit is still sweet, but when the disease is severe, the tree will die… Currently, there is no official process, the Commune Farmers’ Association has summarized the process, for those who need it to guide.

Mr. Duong Van Tinh, Trung Chinh hamlet, Nghia Lam commune, has been growing 500 Taiwanese guava trees for the 5th year. To prevent and treat guava diseases, as soon as the trees start to bloom, Mr. Tinh buys ingredients such as garlic, chili, and ginger to makeherbal pesticides, and also wrapped the fruit from a young age. Although it took a lot of effort, he still maintained it when he saw the effectiveness. In the first years, each year, Mr. Duong Van Tinh's family harvested more than 4 tons of guava with an income of more than 60 million VND.

Mr. Tinh said: regularly follow the channels of plant care, learn through books and newspapers and ask other gardeners to gain more experience. He and other guava growers also want to update more technical measures to improve the efficiency of guava trees.

In Nghia Minh commune, there are currently nearly 20 hectares of guava. Of which, Minh Son hamlet alone has about 10 hectares. Mr. Cao Xuan Hoai - head of Minh Son hamlet, Nghia Minh commune shared: the efficiency of guava trees is relatively stable, however, the hamlet also hopes that guava growers will be trained more in science and technology, and care for more effective development.

Mr. Pham Hong Duy - Chairman of Nghia Minh Commune People's Committee said: Although the current output is mainly self-connected by farmers, because guava trees produce fruit all year round and are not harvested in large quantities, prices are not as squeezed as seasonal crops. The agricultural committee, agricultural extension, and farmers' association of the commune also regularly monitor the situation and guide farmers. In the coming time, the commune also hopes that the district will have more training courses on guava planting and care techniques for people.

It can be said that the guava trees in Nghia Dan have contributed to diversifying crops to adapt to climate change, improving mixed gardens to bring economic efficiency. In fact, Nghia Dan guava has a brand, some areas have been labeled with traceability labels. However, farmers still need more support in science and technology, training to improve the quality and efficiency of guava trees.

Thuy Temple