Good earning thanks to growing guavas

Coming to a fruit-laden guava orchard in A Xay village, Khanh Nam commune, Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province, we met Hoang Van Thuoc, who was picking guavas in time to deliver to customers. The orchard (including guavas and green-skinned grapefruits) with an area of ​​over 2 hectares is earning Thuoc's family with a stable high income, the result of a whole process of building efforts.

Thuoc said that his family is planting more than 1,200 guava trees, 700 of which were planted 5 years ago and the rest were planted 2 years ago. All the guava, when grows up as big as a fingertip, is covered with a layer of plastic, followed by a layer of foam. He does not use chemicals, so his guavas were healthy. Enjoying the freshly picked guavas, we feel the sweetness and crispness of this kind of guavas.

Hoang Van Thuoc picking guavas

Thuoc takes care of and wraps each guava, which produces fruits with good quality and  loved by users. “Every 3-5 days, my family harvests 3-5 quintals of guavas. Traders, restaurants and customers make orders all year round. With 2.5 tons of guava sold out per month at the selling price of 10,000 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, more than 1 ha of guavas earns my family a steady income of more than 10 million VND/month. Growing guava is simple and has low costs, but guava trees need active and regular watering. In addition, growers have to spend a lot of effort to wrap the fruits," he said. Thuoc thought that the guava tree is suitable for farmers with moderate economic size, giving a steady income all year round.

In addition, Thuoc's family also owns 700 green-skinned grapefruit trees that are entering the harvest period, earning a net profit of about 7 million VND/month. Grapefruits and guavas alone have brought this good farmer approximately 20 million VND/month. He has also raised dozens of black pigs and recently sowed 100 apple trees. The entire garden is invested with a methodical drip and overflow irrigation system, ensuring the best care for plants.

Thuoc said, in the past, this garden grew cashews, then corn and manioc. In 2013, he switched to growing grapefruits. When the grapefruit trees were about to be harvested, the storm No. 12 of 2017 swept away almost everything. His family had to make great efforts, with support from the State, to gradually rebuild from scratch. Up to now, his family has been stable with their economic model, their living has been improved.

According to Luong Nguyen Nhat Truong - Head of Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Khanh Vinh district, along with green-skinned grapefruit trees, agriculture in the district has made strong development steps in recent years. People have boldly changed crops, especially fruit trees, there are many models that have been effective, including the model of growing guava of farmer Hoang Van Thuoc. Following the direction of the district, in the coming time, the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will focus on propagating and mobilizing people to invest in improving the efficiency of the existing fruit tree areas, ensuring a sustainable income; encourage households to participate in chain linkage projects, community livelihood projects, and national target programs being implemented in the district to transform crops and livestock with economic value and suitable for farming ability, partly raising people's income.

Hong Dang

Translated by T.T