Đắk Nông durian farmers reap bountiful harvests thanks to sustainable practices

Đắk Nông durian farmers enjoy bountiful harvests and improved prices thanks to sustainable farming practices initiated by the province.

ĐẮK NÔNG – Đắk Nông Province durian farmers enjoy bountiful harvests and improved prices thanks to the sustainable farming practices initiated by Bayer in collaboration with the local agricultural extension centre (PAEC) and the Plant Protection Department (PPD).

Established in October 2023, this public-private partnership aims to develop and replicate effective and sustainable durian farming methods across the province.

In the 10 months since, their collaborative efforts have yielded improvements in durian farming, including a significant decrease in pest and disease levels, higher productivity and fruit quality and the ability to meet export standards, ultimately resulting in favourable market prices for farmers.

Nguyễn Đình Trường, a durian farmer in Đắk Wer hamlet, expressed his delight at being one of the farmers to take part in the project and adopt sustainable durian farming practices.

Trường has grown 800 durian trees over the past six years, harvested 100 tonnes of the fruit this year, and sold them at VNĐ73,000 (US$2.87) per kilogramme.

“It is quite difficult to grow durian trees, especially in extreme weather conditions and severe fluctuations in temperatures.

“However, thanks to the support from Bayer and the Đắk Nông PAEC, I have switched from traditional methods to sustainable cultivation, ranging from pest and disease management to effective flowering and fruiting and control of crop protection residues. As a result, this year’s crop has a higher yield and quality than previous years,” Trường said.

Phan Viết Cường, another durian farmer in the same locality, will also reap a bumper harvest at a good price this year.

In his three-hectare orchard, he has 500 Monthong or "Golden Pillow" durian trees grown using sustainable farming practices.

This year, the farm is expected to yield over 60 tonnes of durian and fetch a price of VNĐ82,000 per kilogramme.

"I am extremely happy with the outcome this season. Through diligent care and support from Bayer’s experts, my trees have thrived, exhibiting robust health with lush, verdant leaves.

“I observed a remarkable 90 per cent decrease in pests and diseases, leading to a significant productivity increase of 20 per cent to 20 tonnes per hectare.

“The fruits have attained substantial size and display consistent quality for an impressive 80 per cent classification as Grade A," Cường said.

The findings from the two durian orchards reveal that on average, 97 per cent of trees exhibited healthy growth during the harvest period.

The cooperative programme between Bayer and the Đắk Nông PAEC also promotes safe, responsible crop protection product use to ensure environmental protection and community well-being.

Kg Krishnamurthy, country commercial lead at Bayer Vietnam’s crop science division, attributed the achievements to all the stakeholders, including Bayer, the Đắk Nông PAEC and the durian farmers themselves.

"At Bayer, we are committed to supporting farmers by providing suitable solutions to address issues in their gardens. We focus on crop protection, nutrition and irrigation solutions to enable farmers to adopt sustainable durian care processes.

“We aim to transform farmers into experts in the durian field so that they can enhance productivity and earn a high income.”

Ngô Xuân Đông, deputy director of the Đắk Nông Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, in a similar vein: “Durian has become a promising fruit for Đắk Nông, which is home to 11,700 hectares.

“Over the past few years, the durian farming area has increased sharply in the locality.

“The department is rolling out sustainable farming practices to form durian cultivation zones and meet export requirements. The focus is also on improving durian quality through sustainable development models,” Đông said.

Moving forward, Bayer, Đắk Nông PAEC and PPD remain dedicated to supporting Vietnamese durian farmers in adopting sustainable farming practices to increase productivity and enhance export quality and safety.

“Through continued collaboration and training, the programme aims to drive transformation across the durian industry in Đắk Nông, fostering sustainable development and a brighter future for local farmers.