Pomelo growers in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province are busy preparing to harvest and supply high-quality products to the market on the occasion of the 2024 Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.
A pomelo farm at Tan Huong hamlet, Thanh Hoi commune, Tan
Lac district.
In Tan Lac district, there are 1,108 ha of pomelo, including 885 ha of
red-flesh pomelo, 67 ha of green-skinned pomelo, and 134 ha of Dien pomelo. The
district has 11 cooperatives and five cooperative groups operating in the field
of pomelo farming and trading.
Six local cooperatives have received planting area codes for
export to the EU market, with a total area of 153 ha while two facilities were
granted codes to export to the New Zealand market, with an area of 46.8 ha. The district sees an annual pomelo output of over 17,000 tonnes.
Each ha of pomelo generates about 190 million VND (7,760 USD) on average.
Currently, some pomelo growing areas in communes like Thanh Hoi,
Dong Lai, and Tu Ne can generate about 380 - 415 million VND per ha per year. This year, people in Thanh Hoi commune in particular and people
of Tan Lac district in general are happy to see 13.5 tonnes or 13,400 pomelos
exported to the UK market, a sharp increase from 5,400 fruits in 2022 and 8,000
fruits in 2023.
Bui Van Thao, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoi commune People's
Committee said that the pomelo growing area has been expanded in the locality.
Now, local farmers are paying much attention to nursing trees
and preserving fruits so that they can supply to market high-quality products
during the Tet celebration.
Duong Tat Tinh, one of the first and best pomelo growers in Thanh Hoi commune
said that he grows more than 200 trees in his 4,600-sq.m farm." This year, the weather is favourable so the fruit yield is
higher than previous year,” he said, adding that now, the price is lower. Wholesalers from neighbouring districts pay about 8,000 - 10,000
VND for a pomelo at the gardens.
Meanwhile, red-flesh pomelo farming has helped members of Binh Minh Services
and Rural Development Cooperative escape poverty and get a stable source of
income.
Nguyen Thi Oanh, director of the cooperative predicted that the
pomelo price during the Lunar New Year this year will not increase much.
However, pomelo growers are still happy as almost all their products have been
ordered already.
Besides Thanh Hoi commune, many localities in the Tan Lac
district are eyeing to expand pomelo growing areas. However, the district
authorities want to keep the growing areas unchanged and apply technical
advances to replace degraded pomelo areas with low-quality.
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, Hoa Binh province has intensified measures to address challenges in land clearance, resettlement support, and infrastructure investment, aiming to speed up the progress of key projects.
Hoa Binh province has posted an unprecedented economic growth rate of 12.76% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its highest quarterly performance to date and positioning it as the second fastest-growing locality in the country, trailing only Bac Giang province.
Under current regulations, products in the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme that are rated three stars or higher must undergo re-evaluation every three months. However, in reality, some of these products fail to consistently meet the required standards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their OCOP certification. This underscores the urgent need for producers to enhance product quality and gradually develop their OCOP products into strong, marketable brands.
