Growing Buddha hand-shaped bananas to supply Tet market

A specialty banana variety known as Buddha hand-shaped bananas is named after its distinctive shape, which resembles folded praying hands. This unique fruit, notable for its bright golden-yellow color when ripe, has become highly sought after by consumers for display on ancestral offering trays during full-moon days, especially during the Lunar New Year (Tet), as it is believed to bring good luck and peace to households. Accordingly, consumers are willing to pay several hundreds of thousands of VND for a single bunch of Buddha hand bananas to display during Tet.

Truong Hoan Thien, owner of Nui Cui Agricultural Cultivation and Processing Facility, Gia Kiem commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Recognizing this market demand, for more than two years, Truong Hoan Thien, owner of the Nui Cui Agricultural Cultivation and Processing Facility in Tan Yen hamlet, Gia Kiem commune, Dong Nai province, has expanded cultivation to about 1.5 hectares of Buddha hand-shaped bananas. Currently, his family’s specialty banana garden is entering the harvest season and is ready to meet consumer demand for the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026.

Growing specialty crops to meet market demand

Before becoming a farmer, Truong Hoan Thien worked in the construction materials business. When he transitioned to agriculture, he experimented with various models such as growing netted melons and different kinds of vegetables.

During a visit to an agricultural production model, he learned about the Buddha hand-shaped banana variety. Seeing the great potential of this unique specialty banana that was still uncommon in the market, he decided to purchase 200 tissue-cultured seedlings from a reputable enterprise specializing in imported and locally produced plant varieties for trial cultivation. Thien recalled that at the time, tissue-cultured banana seedlings for export, despite their high economic efficiency, were sold for only 4,000–5,000 VND per plant. Meanwhile, this rare banana variety cost as much as 200,000 VND per seedling. Nevertheless, he remained determined to grow this specialty crop that few others had attempted.

In addition to developing an organic banana model, Truong Hoan Thien invested in a 1.2-hectare net-house system to grow organic vegetables. His facility has now established linkages with several enterprises that contract and purchase organic vegetables at favorable prices. Both the organic vegetables and Buddha hand bananas produced by the facility have been certified as One Commune, One Product (OCOP) items rated three stars by Dong Nai Province.

In the early stages of trial cultivation, Thien faced numerous challenges, including plant losses as well as uneven and unattractive bunches and fruits. During the rainy season, difficulties increased due to the prevalence of fungi and pests. According to Thien, in terms of cultivation techniques, Buddha hand-shaped bananas are similar to other banana varieties; however, growers must ensure that the soil does not become waterlogged. It takes about 12–13 months to harvest bananas. With proper care, yields can reach around 30 tons per hectare. A qualified bunch typically consists of eight to nine hands, averaging two to four kilograms per hand. Although mainly grown for display, when ripe, the bananas have a sticky texture, sweet taste and distinctive aroma, allowing consumers to enjoy them as a flavorful fruit. However, because the primary purpose is ceremonial display, growers must be more meticulous in their care to ensure uniform shape and color, which are essential for commanding high prices.

According to Thien, due to the limited supply of this specialty banana, in the initial stage, he mainly sold the product via social media platforms. Farm-gate prices currently range from 50,000 to 55,000 VND per kilogram, while during holidays and the Lunar New Year, prices can rise to 70,000–80,000 VND per kilogram. Meanwhile, cultivation techniques and production costs are similar to those of traditional banana varieties. As a result, this specialty crop model delivers significantly higher economic efficiency compared to conventional banana farming.

Seeing that demand for this unique fruit remains strong and full of potential, Thien has continued propagating seedlings and gradually expanded the banana garden to 1.5 hectares. As the bananas are primarily purchased for display, he has managed the orchard to allow staggered harvesting twice a month, coinciding with full-moon days and the end of each lunar month.

In addition, each year, Thien supplies hundreds of Buddha hand banana seedlings to the market at prices ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 VND per plant, generating an additional source of income for the garden owner.

Producing organic products

Although he got involved in agriculture as a newcomer, from the very beginning, Thien chose to pursue organic farming—a path that is far from easy, even for experienced farmers. He started his organic farming journey with the most basic practices, such as refraining from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, instead manually weeding the garden. Cut grass is used to cover the soil surface, where it naturally decomposes into organic matter. The soil is also improved with organic fertilizers, or by utilizing agricultural by-products such as discarded fruits composted into organic fertilizer for crops.

Organic Buddha hand-shaped banana products certified as OCOP items rated three stars by Dong Nai province attract strong consumer interest.

Sharing his experience, Thien said: “For about two years now, I have chosen to start my business in agriculture, and from the very first days, I decided to grow organic vegetables and organic Buddha hand-shaped bananas. Choosing this path, I have faced far more difficulties than with conventional farming. First, the yields of vegetables and bananas are lower than with traditional methods. The farm mainly applies preventive measures; organic disease treatment is slow and difficult, so the risks of yield and quality loss are higher when pests occur. Despite these challenges, I persist in pursuing clean agriculture with integrity in my work. My principle is simple: if I dare not eat the product myself, I will not sell it. It would be unfair to sell to consumers what I myself do not trust.”

After two years of investing in organic agriculture and experiencing many challenges, Thien hopes that organic farmers will receive more technical guidance and support in market linkage. He noted that organic agricultural products have yet to secure a position commensurate with their value, while production costs are higher and risks greater than in conventional farming.

In recent years, the Nui Cui agricultural cultivation and processing facility has actively participated in promoting and introducing its farm products at various conferences and trade fairs. As a result, the facility has signed multiple consumption contracts with enterprises both inside and outside the province. It has also coordinated with distributors to organize promotional programs and gift-giving activities to attract consumers and promote its products. The aspiration of young farmer Truong Hoan Thien is to link up with like-minded farmers to expand production scale. In particular, the facility hopes to receive support in finding major partners to consume organic vegetables and fruits, enabling this model to develop sustainably and bring tangible benefits to both farmers and consumers.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha