Residents of a remote commune in the central province of Quang Tri have
spent the last decade investing heavily in banana plantations. The
result has been a whirlwind success, with the dreams of once-poor
farmers finally coming to fruition.
The rainy
season has started in the central region. In Huong Hoa district in the
central province of Quang Tri, the roads are scattered with thick basalt
mud.
Farmer Nguyen Van Tuan and his wife drive
carefully across the sludge on their old Honda motorbike, heading for
market. On the bike’s luggage rack sit bunches and bunches of bananas.
Tuan, 52, comes to Tan Long market – known as one of
the biggest banana market in the central region and along the border
with Laos – every day to sell his products.
Today,
Tuan completes his business quickly by negotiating with a wholesale
agent to sell six bunches of bananas for 400,000 VND (19 USD).
He says that this is a very fair price and he often makes a lot more.
During the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays, he can capitalise on the
increased demand for the fruit and make as much as 30 million VND (1,400
USD) from his bananas.
“We have been living well
over recent years thanks to banana farming. It has changed our lives. I
can earn 10 million VND (476 USD) from bananas planted on 2ha of hill
land. This is quite good productivity compared to other crops like
cassava, ginger and sugarcane,” Tuan says.
“Farming
bananas does not need much investment. I tend to saplings until they
grow and are ready for harvest after one year. The fruit, stems, and
flowers can be sold for at least five years, while bananas produce
saplings constantly. The only business risks are price instability in
the market and the threat of natural disasters.”
Market magnetism
Situated 70km away from downtown Dong Ha city, the bustling market of
Tan Long is a magnet for the region’s banana traders.
The business has bloomed in the area over the past decade as the crop
has become increasingly profitable for local farmers.
In the 1990s, cassava and maize were the two main cash crops in the
commune, while bananas were grown in gardens for daily dessert.
In 1997, sugarcane and ginger were planted widely as farmers looked to
increase their income. Their success was limited so they turned their
attention to banana. The abundance of the fruit and the low investment
required soon paid dividends.
The commune, which has
a population of 3,900, increased the area of banana from 410ha to over
1,000ha between 2005 and 2010. Banana farming has now spread to the
neighbouring communes of Lao Bao and Lia and even crossed the border to
some villages in Laos on the other sides of the Se Pon river.
“Tan Long market provides around 50 tonnes of banana each day,
creating a revenue of 25 billion VND (1.1 million USD) per year,” said
chairman of Tan Long commune Do Van Khai.
“Farmers
here have improved their income from banana plantations, as have farmers
from the Pa Co and Van Kieu ethnic groups in nearby communes.
“They (ethnic communities) lived off rice farming, hunting and
exploitation of the forests for many years, but now they consistently
grow bananas and no longer need to shift cultivation year after year.
Banana grows very well on sloped terrain in mountainous areas, so each
household from these communes can grow up to 10ha.”
Growing a trademark
The fruit in Tan Long has become famous throughout Vietnam for its
taste, quality and ability to be preserved for a long time.
Wholesale agents often buy bananas directly from farmers at the market
before selling them on via retail traders. About 70 percent of exports
go to China.
The plant has drastically contributed
to the socio-economic development of the commune and local people enjoy
an annual income per capita of 11 million VND (524 USD).
The commune’s poverty rate reduced from 29 percent in 2000 to 6.2
percent in 2009 and many households have became prosperous.
A farm of 8,000 productive plants brings a staggering income of 600
million VND (28,000 USD) for Doan Trang in Tan Long commune.
Meanwhile, Vo Hoanh in nearby Long Thanh village said bananas turned his impoverished life around.
From a 2ha farm in 2003, Hoanh developed 20ha of profitable land and
now earns a monthly income of 50 million VND (2,300 USD).
“Banana has sold well over the past years because wholesale buyers
flock to Tan Long with big contracts. They even pay advances for
farmers,” Hoanh said.
“The plantation process is easy, but requires large plots of land to produce the best quality fruit.”
Hoanh added that the arable land in the commune is limited due to
rough terrain so he had to broaden plantations at other communes and
farms in Lao border villages.
Potential banana skins
Recent storms have damaged swathes of banana farms in Tan Long, but
they are expected to recover quickly. However, bad weather poses an
almost constant risk, as do unstable prices and wholesalers’ demand.
Nguyen Thi Kieu, 39, said she collects two tonnes each day from
farmers, but faces the possibility of incurring heavy losses if
wholesale agents refuse to pay the best price or lower their demand.
“I only pay 2,500 VND per kilogram of banana to farmers. Therefore I
can earn a big profit through trading, especially when market demand
reaches its peak at the end of the year,” Kieu said.
“The price of bananas is now half of what dealers paid in 2008, so the profit margins are widening all the time.
“China is still the biggest market for Tan Long bananas, while
domestic sales are limited. I think business could be improved even more
if the commune developed a processing plant to preserve the fruit.
Dried banana, for example, is a favourite snack of Vietnamese
customers.”
Farmer Vo Van Tam also shared his hope for a processing plant to be built in the area.
“Such a factory would lure local people and larger farms could produce
bumper harvests. A processing line would help ease worries of crops
preservation for farmers.”
Tam said that a drying factory was built in Tan Long a few years ago, but soon stopped working due to poor technology.
He added that investment in post-harvest technology is out of reach for farmers and big loans are required.
“With more investment we could select appropriate areas for growing
banana with higher yield. The selection of saplings can be more focused,
while co-operation with businesses can be strengthened to ensure
sustainable development,” he said.
While Tuan is happy with the current situation, he is still hoping for further growth.
“I wish to make a permanent income from banana as I’m the breadwinner
for my family. That is six children to provide for! If my banana sells
out, I will invest in technology and saplings to intensify my farming.
Sustainable farming can make us truly prosperous farmers. We have come a
long way already in just a few years, so we have very high hopes for
the future”.-VNA