Bac Giang develops banana cultivation area

Apart from lychee, citrus fruits …, the northern province of Bac Giang has advantages to develop the short term fruit tree of banana. The provincial competent agencies have made the proposal and solution to develop the material banana areas locally toward export.  

Farmer in Hop Thinh commune (Hiep Hoa district) grows banana and earns high income.

Because banana is not a new crop, many farmers in the province have revamped their fields and orchards to cultivate the plant in wide areas and earned high income.

Typically, family of Le Tien Loi in Bao An village, Hoang An commune (Hiep Hoa district) has grown several varieties of bananas in over 1 ha for over 5 years. Loi said each sao (360 square meters) of banana cultivation bring an annual income of 13 – 15 million VND (557 – 643 USD) or 20 million VND (857 USD) in special occasion of Lunar New Year.

The post harvest products are ordered by customers in Hung Yen province. Now, the whole banana growing area of his family is well developed without any worm or disease that promises for a bumper crop.

Similarly, family of Do Van Thai in Kieu village, Bich Son commune (Viet Yen district) also invested in levelling and revamping the field to grow 1 ha of banana. In 2018, he harvested more than 5,000 bunches of bananas and earned over 100 million VND (over 4,200 USD) excluding the production cost.

Not only farmers, Thuan Tam Thanh Company Limited (Hung Yen province) hired 10ha of alluvial land in Huong Ninh village, Hop Thinh commune (Hiep Hoa district) to cultivate banana and gained high economic value. Thanks to the rhetorical method and usage of free disease varieties under a strict procedure, all of the trees blossom.

According to the Plant Production and Protection Division (PPPD) (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), the province is home to about 1,600 ha of banana cultivation with an output of over 19,000 tonnes per year. Generally, the banana growers of large scale will have good income.

However, most of the cultivated varieties are local ones while the new variety only accounts for nearly 30 percent. The products are mainly consumed in fresh condition because there is no processing facility.

The research showed that the province has many potentials to develop the banana such as abundant source of land, suitable geological and climate condition meanwhile it is not required to have big investment and meticulous care to grow this crop.

The PPPD has consulted to build the project to develop the material banana area in the province in the period 2020 – 2022. The districts and city are conducting review and summary to give specific data on the area.

As schedule, Bac Giang will build 20 concentrated areas to grow the pink bananas with the scale of at least 10ha per area. This variety is selected because the fruits are even, good looking and easy for transportation.

Additionally, Dong Giao Export Food Joint Stock Company (Dong Giao JSC) (Ninh Binh province) will be in charge of product consumption. According to its Vice General Director Pham Ngoc Thanh, the company is specialized at producing and processing farm produce for export with the annual demand to link the cultivation of 2,000 ha of banana.

Dong Giao JSC used to buy the farm products in Bac Giang and expected to develop the banana together with the local farmers. The company will build the facilities of packaging and preservation at the material area scaling of 200 ha as well as buy the products with the price agreed on the signed contract and agreement.

Basing on the above demand, the province is scheduled to build 20 concentrated areas to grow the pink bananas with the scale of at least 10 ha per area. This variety is selected because the fruits are even, good looking and easy for transportation. The establishment and development of linked banana area in the province open a new intensive cultivation and increase the income to the farmers.