Hi-tech banana farming bears fruit in rural district of Binh Duong
The collaboration between two 'giants' in the agricultural industry – Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) with abundant land resources and U & I Agriculture JSC (Unifarm), a company that pioneers in applying high-tech agriculture - has breathed new life into the banana industry.
The high-tech banana production project, with the engagement of Dau Tieng Rubber Co. Ltd and Unifarm, at Minh Tam Farm is an outstanding example.
The project, located at a farm more than 25km from the centre of Dau Tieng district, has reaped initial success since its startup in 2021. It has proved effective in both productivity and quality with an average yield of 70 tonnes per hectare, which is three times higher than the national average. After being pre-processed and packaged, more than 80% of qualified banana products have been exported to markets such as Japan and the Republic of Korea.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Nhat Son, deputy head of its Planning-Investment Division at Dau Tieng Rubber Co. Ltd, shifting from low-yield and ineffective rubber plantations to high-tech agriculture aligns with the overall development trend of the agricultural sector, adding that it helps utilise land resources and contribute to enhancing land use efficiency.
Last year, the company earned over VND185 billion (US$7.5 million) in revenue, surpassing the yearly target by 68% and netting a profit of nearly VND30 billion, exceeding the plan by 140% thanks to the Minh Tan high-tech banana project, he said. The company fetched nearly VND90 billion in revenue and some VND18 trillion in profit in the first six months of this year, he said, adding that it expects to meet all targets set for the year.
Nguyen Duc Hien, General Director of Dau Tieng Rubber Co. Ltd, held that shifting the cultivation model in combination with forming linkages to leverage experience, technology, and capital from partners is a right approach, towards mastering technology and market penetration.
Currently, the company has about 24,000ha of rubber plantations, but by 2030, this area will be reduced to approximately 15,000ha or less to allocate land for developing industrial zones, industrial clusters, residential areas, and especially high-tech agriculture.
Since 2016, VRG has encouraged and created conditions for several member companies to pilot high-tech agriculture models with diverse crops on rubber tree plantations including banana, sacha inchi, melons, green-skinned grapefruit, and other citrus fruits.
The group plans to invest in large-scale and high-value agriculture until the end of 2030, covering an area of 36,227ha, including 5,000ha dedicated to banana cultivation, he added.
