Greenery on rocky land

Tissue-cultured bananas for export, along with traditional banana varieties such as moc, cau, and bom, are currently the main crops for farmers on rocky land in communes such as Bau Ham, Hung Thinh, Gia Kiem, and Phu Vinh in Dong Nai province.

Traditional bananas grown by farmers in Bau Ham commune, Dong Nai province, on small, rocky plots.

As a short-term crop with shallow roots and high moisture requirements, bananas can grow well and yield high productivity even when farmers only need to clear stones to make planting holes and add a small amount of topsoil.

The resilience of banana plants

Along the Cay Gao – Bau Ham road (Bau Ham commune, Dong Nai province), banana leaves spread out in lush green canopies, covering piles of stones beneath their bases. Farmer Phung Van Giau (Tan Lap 1 Hamlet, Bau Ham commune) said that before switching to tissue-cultured bananas for export, his two hectares of rocky farmland were planted with pepper and coffee. Since 2019, when pepper suffered from disease and coffee trees became old, he shifted to export-oriented tissue-cultured bananas to maintain a stable income from his farm.

According to Giau, profits from growing tissue-cultured bananas for export depend heavily on market prices at different times. However, this season, his two hectares are estimated to yield over 100 tons. With current farm-gate prices ranging from 9,000 to 10,000 VND per kilogram, he estimates net income at about 150–200 million VND per hectare per year after costs.

Despite price fluctuations, tissue-cultured bananas for export are attracting farmers in many rocky areas of Phu Lam commune, Dong Nai province. Farmer Vong A Bau (Phuong Lam Hamlet, Phu Lam commune) said that over three years of growing one hectare of tissue-cultured bananas for export, he has earned about 250–300 million VND per year.

To reclaim 2.5 hectares of rocky land for growing tissue-cultured export bananas, Le Hong Son (Hamlet 6, Phu Vinh commune) used an excavator to arrange the rocks into neat rows before planting. The excess topsoil generated during trenching was added around the banana bases, providing fertile soil for the plants without altering the original ground level. Thanks to this method, his banana farm achieves yields of over 60 tons per hectare per year, with uniform bunches and more than 90 percent classified as grade 1.

Export bananas have now become a lifeline, replacing sugarcane and dragon fruit. As a result, the movement to grow export bananas in Xuan Bac commune has grown strongly over the past four years.

Farmer Le Van Manh, Suoi Nho 6 Hamlet, Xuan Bac commune, Dong Nai province.

Strong prospects from banana cultivation

Areas such as Gia Kiem, Bau Ham, Trang Bom, and Dau Giay in Dong Nai province have long traditions of growing tieu, moc, gia, and bom bananas for processing into cakes and candies and for shipment to central and northern regions. As these varieties mainly serve the domestic market, many farmers have sharply reduced traditional banana areas and shifted to tissue-cultured bananas for export, driven by higher market appeal.

Farmer Chen A Phuc (Cay Dieu Hamlet, Bau Ham commune) shared that traditional banana farming requires simpler care techniques, lower investment, and yields and income not much lower than those of tissue-cultured bananas for export. However, traditional bananas are harvested year-round, are mostly grown on high hills with limited irrigation and rocky soil, and currently occupy a much smaller area than export bananas.

Tissue-cultured bananas for export are now being chosen by many farmers in Xuan Lap ward, Dong Nai province, as a key crop alongside durian, jackfruit, and rambutan. Tran Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Xuan Lap Ward Farmers’ Association, said that exporting bananas in the area generates an income of 250–300 million VND per hectare per year, helping farmers diversify their crops and build more sustainable household economies.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Dong Nai currently has about 16,700 hectares of tissue-cultured banana plantations for export, with an estimated annual output of nearly 200,000 tons. Tissue-cultured bananas are now a key crop for farmers in many localities across the province.

Farmer Tran Van Duc (Hamlet 6, Xuan Bac commune) currently manages about 100 hectares of export-oriented tissue-cultured bananas, including family land and linkages with other farmers. With the advantage of being both a buyer and having direct export connections, depending on the time, his banana farms earn profits of about 150–250 million VND per hectare per year.

On roads leading to the communes of Song Trau, Giang Dien, and Quang Tien, formerly of Trang Bom district and now part of Trang Bom commune, straight rows of lush green banana trees provide shade over countless large and small stones scattered beneath.

Farmer Hoang Van Khuy (Quang Hoa Hamlet, Trang Bom commune) shared that bananas are not picky about rocky soil, and thanks to growing both export and traditional bananas, he was able to build a house worth billions of dong and send two children to university. Therefore, even when banana prices fluctuate, he remains committed to cultivation. According to him, his 1.8-hectare banana farm is always green with heavy bunches, and when prices rise, household income improves significantly.

Bananas are currently a key fruit crop and among Vietnam’s most important export fruits. Export markets are expanding, and demand is rising, while Vietnam has great potential in both area and output. Experts believe that with well-organized production and effective disease control, Vietnam’s banana export value could reach USD 1 billion in the near future.

By Diem Quynh – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho