Dong Nai farmers set their sights on export markets

Farmers across Dong Nai City are combining practical farming experience with scientific and technological advances to enhance the value of their agricultural products, build stronger brands, and expand into export markets.

Rocky hillside avocados reach overseas markets

Years ago, hundreds of households in Bau Ham 2 Quarter, Dau Giay ward, struggled to find suitable crops for the area's rocky hillsides, which have extremely shallow soil. After experimenting with different crops, local farmers eventually found that avocado trees were best suited to the area's rocky terrain.

"Before growing avocados, we cultivated bananas, but yields were low. We then tried pomelos, yet the rocky terrain and lack of soil prevented the trees from producing fruit. After studying successful models elsewhere, we decided to plant avocados, which proved to be well-suited to the area. Since then, the crop has taken root in the area, and locals have come to call it "rocky hillside avocado," said Trinh Cong Thanh, a resident of the Bau Ham 2 Quarter.

Members of the Bau Ham 2 Avocado Cooperative Group in Dau Giay ward share experience in organic and biological avocado cultivation.

Once the avocado trees had become established, local farmers formed a cooperative group to develop avocado cultivation together. Given the area's harsh terrain and soil conditions, they had to carve individual holes into the rock and line them with thin layers of soil before planting the trees. Every household had to drill wells 120 to 150 meters deep and build above-ground reservoirs to store irrigation water for the dry season and for the avocado flowering and fruit-setting periods.

Pham Duy Long, Head of the avocado cooperative group, said farmers check soil moisture visually and by hand. "We check the soil with our eyes and hands. If we dig into the ground and see plenty of insects, we know there is still sufficient moisture. If the soil is cracked, it has become too dry. Insufficient water affects flowering and pollination, reducing fruit set, so when temperatures reach around 32 degrees Celsius, we irrigate once a day," he said.

Determined to transform rocky hills into productive orchards, members of the cooperative group have shifted to organic farming using biological methods. Fertilizer application, fruit thinning, and pest management are all carried out under the guidance of agricultural engineers. As a result, the avocado orchards have remained healthy with minimal pest damage, producing average yields of around 15 tonnes per hectare. In recent years, the avocados have received growing-area codes and geographical indication certification. Meanwhile, export partnerships have been established with businesses serving markets in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, helping raise both product value and farmers' incomes.

Organic cashews expand their export footprint

Despite being newly established, the Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative in Tho Son commune has achieved remarkable progress under the leadership of Thi Khui, an ethnic Mnong woman. From small-scale production that relied heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as on low-yielding traditional cashew varieties, the cooperative has earned a three-star OCOP certification for its cashew products and has gradually entered European export markets.

Changing long-established farming practices across an entire community has not been easy, particularly for a female cooperative director from an ethnic minority group. However, through persistence and determination, Thi Khui has encouraged hundreds of farming households to adopt organic cultivation methods to improve cashew quality.

"I first provided training to help farmers change the way they care for their cashew trees. They need to prune branches, shape the canopy, increase the use of organic microbial fertilizers, and improve soil fertility. Healthy soil produces stronger trees and higher yields," she said.

Thanks to these outreach and mobilization efforts, the cooperative now has more than 200 members and a cashew-growing area of more than 1,500 hectares. All farming activities comply with strict production standards, with no herbicides used, limited use of chemical fertilizers, and priority given to organic inputs. The entire cultivation area has been certified under VietGAP standards.

The cooperative has established links with partners in the Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, and Japan. During the 2026 cashew harvest season, it exported three shipments totaling 500 tonnes of raw cashew nuts to the European market, the highest volume ever recorded. Thanks to selling prices above market levels, cooperative members have earned additional income. Meanwhile, the value of Bu Lach organic cashews has been further affirmed in international markets.

In recent years, Dong Nai City's agricultural sector has intensified efforts to encourage farmers to apply science and technology in production. Authorities have also promoted stronger linkages among farmers, cooperatives, and businesses, while supporting the development of growing-area codes, concentrated raw material zones, and expanded export markets. These initiatives have laid an important foundation for enhancing the value and competitiveness of Dong Nai's agricultural products amid deeper international integration.

Tran Thi Tu Oanh, Deputy Head of the Rural Development Division under the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment.

From avocado orchards on the rocky hills of Dau Giay to organic cashew-growing areas cultivated by the Mnong community in Bu Lach, each locality has adopted its own approach, though all share a common direction: shifting from small-scale, fragmented production to value-chain linkages, building product brands, and expanding into broader markets. By combining farmers' experience with science and technology, along with support from cooperatives, businesses, and authorities at all levels, these efforts have helped raise local incomes while gradually strengthening the position of Dong Nai agricultural products in domestic and international markets.

By Q.Minh – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho