Building high-tech durian farming region

Despite earning a master’s degree in business administration in the United Kingdom, Nguyen The Tung, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Queen Farm Vietnam (Phuoc Son commune), chose to pursue durian farming to carry out his mother’s vision for modern agriculture. What sets Queen Farm apart is its pioneering application of high technology and digital transformation to develop a high-quality durian cultivation zone for export.

With the ambition of contributing to a high-tech, green, and circular agricultural model, the owner of Queen Farm has established a value chain from production to export in the durian sector. Farmers participating in this chain are supported with high-tech techniques at every stage, from cultivation to distribution.

Nguyen The Tung (second from left), Chairman of the Board and CEO of Queen Farm, introduces high-tech applications at the farm. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Smart production

Nguyen The Tung’s transition into farming has been marked by relentless self-learning. His experience has been built through hands-on practice, learning from agricultural experts and skilled engineers at Queen Farm. He has not hesitated to invest in travel and study, drawing lessons from the limitations of traditional farming methods and gaining valuable insights along the way. “I chose to grow durian because it is a challenging crop. I am eager to learn and willing to travel to different countries to study how they cultivate durian,” Tung said.

Tung has applied high technology from the soil-testing stage, before the first durian seedlings were planted in the orchard. It has since been deployed in a synchronized manner across technical processes, operational management, quality management, and orchard management through digital mapping systems. “By assigning identification to each tree, we can maintain individual records, enabling farmers to apply specific care regimes tailored to each plant. Daily data tracking enables us to monitor cultivation processes closely. Trees affected by pests or showing weaker growth are flagged for special care until recovery. Electronic cultivation logs are also essential, helping us track labor input in the orchard each day and the precise use of agricultural inputs for each tree, providing data for end-of-cycle analysis. All information is integrated into the farm’s digital mapping system,” he noted.

In 2025, Queen Farm harvested 385 tonnes of durian, with approximately 80% of the output exported. At the same time, the farm places strong emphasis on the domestic market, supplying both wholesale and retail orders to distribution partners across provinces and cities nationwide, based on the view that local consumers deserve access to clean products produced by their own people.

According to Tung, science and technology should not be overcomplicated. Applying high technology is not something out of reach. In fact, it can begin with very simple practices. Here, science means paying attention to every detail, from plant health to weather fluctuations. For example, it can be as simple as introducing beneficial microorganisms into the irrigation system and distributing them throughout the orchard to reduce crop disease and create favorable conditions for their multiplication. Farmers must manage weeds, keeping them at an appropriate density to retain soil moisture without depriving crops of nutrients. They should also have enough information to determine the best time to cut weeds and mulch them on the soil as a valuable source of fertilizer, while applying microorganisms to speed up their decomposition into organic fertilizer.

Currently, Queen Farm cultivates and manages more than 9,500 durian trees on 55 hectares, with three specialty varieties: Ri6, Dona, and Musang King. High technology is applied in building the tree-care process, including smart irrigation and automated fertilization, while UAV-based remote sensing helps detect and promptly address pests and diseases. Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology and sensor systems are also used to monitor key indicators. The pipeline network laid around the farm alone stretches 75 km. In addition, the farm has invested in large artificial reservoirs covering dozens of hectares to store irrigation water for the dry season.

Aspiration for responsible agriculture

Sharing about his connection to agriculture, Tung said, “There are two reasons that have tied me to this field. First, it began with my mother’s decision to move to Binh Phuoc province (formerly) to invest in a farm, driven by her passion for agriculture. At that time, she was already elderly, so I wanted to support her. The direction and vision for agricultural development came from her, and I promised to turn her dream into reality and pursue farming in a meaningful way. Second, my family has a long-standing tradition of farming across generations, so I also feel a responsibility to contribute to the agricultural sector.”

Nguyen The Tung, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Queen Farm, shares his experience in applying high-tech durian farming with local farmers. Photo: B. Nguyen

Tung believes that whatever is taken from the land must be returned to it with the deepest gratitude. Queen Farm's environmentally oriented agricultural development strategy aligns with the needs of consumers increasingly concerned about green and clean products. The farm also adapts to stringent legal requirements in export markets, fully complying with both safety and sustainability standards. In terms of management, it prioritizes optimizing resources, cutting production and operating costs, and meeting the need for low costs and high output. It also seeks to increase commercial value in global markets and reinforce the Queen Farm durian brand in the premium segment, targeting consumers willing to pay more for quality and health-conscious products.

Tung said that Queen Farm participates in a value chain with cooperatives and local farmers, arguing that, in agriculture, working alone cannot meet the market's enormous demand. Currently, the area of durian with export-growing area codes remains very small compared with the total durian acreage nationwide. “If we only do well on our own, and there are too few models doing well, it is very difficult to build a brand for Vietnamese agricultural products. It must be a collective effort. We introduce technologies to farmers to help increase their production value. I hope to build a cooperative ecosystem where members share the same mindset and clean farming practices. I am always willing to share information and methods to help farmers cultivate better. I see this as my personal social responsibility," he said.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho