Agricultural extension helps bear fruit on barren land

Reviving barren land with modern farming techniques

In Que Son Commune, Da Nang - a once-arid area often described by the Vietnamese saying "dogs eat stones, chickens peck gravel" to illustrate its harsh conditions- agricultural production long relied on acacia and cassava, both of which generated relatively low economic returns. Driven by a determination to build a sustainable livelihood in his hometown, Truong Van Arin, Director of the Rung Bao Agricultural Cooperative, began converting three hectares of unproductive acacia plantations in 2023 into orchards of Taiwanese guava and An Phuoc plum.

During the early stages of the project, Arin faced numerous challenges, as the new fruit crops required cultivation practices tailored to the area's climate and soil conditions. At this critical time, the Da Nang Agricultural Extension Center provided fertilizers and assigned extension officers to offer hands-on technical guidance on crop management, balanced nutrition, water-saving irrigation, and integrated pest management. This timely support, combined with Arin's determination, enabled him to overcome the initial difficulties.

According to Arin, training courses, field workshops, and on-site technical assistance from agricultural extension officers helped him gradually refine his cultivation practices. He subsequently invested in an Israeli drip irrigation system, adopted proper pruning techniques, balanced fertilization, integrated pest management (IPM), and biological products for crop care.

To avoid seasonal oversupply and maintain a stable market supply, Arin also adopted a staggered flowering and fruiting technique for guava, allowing the orchard to produce fruit year-round rather than during a single harvest season.

Today, all 1,200 guava trees and 350 An Phuoc plum trees are growing uniformly and in good health. The guava orchard produces an average of around 200 kg of fruit/day, equivalent to 1-2 tonnes/month, with a wholesale price of approximately VND 20,000/kg. In 2025, the orchard harvested about 11 tonnes of guava, generating around VND 500 million in revenue with a profit margin of approximately 50%. The An Phuoc plum trees have also performed well, yielding 20-50kg/tree annually from their second year onward.

The cooperative's guava products have earned strong market recognition for their quality, crisp texture, sweetness, and food safety. They are now available at supermarkets and specialty food stores across Da Nang, providing a stable source of income for cooperative members. Building on this success, the cooperative is developing its own brand, completing procedures for OCOP certification, and partnering with neighboring farmers to expand its guava-growing area to more than 4ha.

In addition to agricultural production, the cooperative is promoting agri-tourism by combining farming with visitor experiences, creating added value for its products, showcasing local specialties, and opening up a more sustainable development pathway for Que Son's hilly areas.

According to Truong Van Arin, these achievements have been made possible through a combination of farmers' willingness to invest and the close support provided by the agricultural extension service.

"The early days of our start-up were particularly challenging. The Da Nang Agricultural Extension Center provided fertilizers and timely technical guidance. Today, we continue to apply IPM, use biological products for pest control, and protect the fruit with reusable fabric bags. These practices have improved fruit quality, reduced production costs, and enabled us to meet increasingly demanding market requirements," Arin said.

A pathway to sustainable production

According to the Da Nang Agricultural Extension Center, the integrated fruit production model combined with eco-tourism in Que Son Commune has been implemented on an area of three hectares by the Rung Bao Agricultural Cooperative. The initiative aims to diversify cropping systems, improve the productivity of hilly land, and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture alongside eco-tourism.

Through the project, the cooperative and its members have gained access to new fruit varieties, advanced production techniques, and cultivation practices suited to local conditions. Field results show that both guava and An Phuoc plumhave adapted well to Que Son's soil and climate, laying the foundation for the development of a safe and high-value fruit production area.

Beyond agricultural production, the model also contributes to the development of eco-tourism, attracting visitors interested in learning about sustainable farming practices. It has helped raise public awareness, encouraged knowledge sharing, and created new opportunities for sustainable rural economic development.

According to Nguyen Dinh Vuong, Acting Deputy Director of the Da Nang Agricultural Extension Center, supporting farmers in adopting scientific and technological advances, developing high-tech agricultural extension models, and promoting climate-resilient farming are among the Center's core priorities. Through demonstration models, the Center not only transfers advanced farming technologies but also provides training, production consultancy, support for producer linkages, brand development, trade promotion, and market connections to help farmers gradually increase the value of their agricultural production.

To date, the Da Nang Agricultural Extension Center has implemented more than 45 agricultural extension models, including around 25 crop production models, 15 livestock models, and five aquaculture models. These initiatives are designed to suit local conditions and prioritize the adoption of improved crop varieties, advanced cultivation techniques, water-saving irrigation systems, IPM, biosecure livestock production, and stronger market linkages.

"Experience has shown that agricultural extension models not only improve farmers' incomes but also transform their production mindset. Instead of relying primarily on traditional experience, many farmers have adopted standardized production practices that emphasize product quality, food safety, environmental protection, and compliance with increasingly demanding market requirements," Vuong said.

The experience of the Rung Bao Agricultural Cooperative in Que Son Commune demonstrates that when farmers are willing to innovate and receive sustained support from agricultural extension services in technology transfer and production organization, the economic value generated from the same area of farmland can be significantly enhanced, while laying the foundation for a greener, more modern, and sustainable agricultural sector.

"The integrated fruit cultivation model combined with eco-tourism and experiential activities is well aligned with the locality's vision for modern agricultural development. The application of water-saving irrigation systems, integrated pest management (IPM), fruit bagging, and biological products not only improves productivity and product quality but also reduces production costs, protects the environment, and creates favorable conditions for wider replication," said Ho Anh Trung, Chairman of the Que Son Farmers' Association.

$ 1 = VND 26,410 - Source: Vietcombank.