Farming is loving the Land and the Nation

“Our Country was already here when we first came to be.

It resides in the "once upon a time" stories our mothers used to tell.

The Country began with the simple betel quid grandmother chews today.

It took root as our people learned to plant bamboo to repel the invader”

The opening lines of “Dat Nuoc” (Country)  by poet Nguyen Khoa Diem echo in my mind as I stand before an endless banana field. Broad green leaves stretch skyward from reddish-brown trunks brimming with vitality, bathed in the first warm rays of spring sunlight. Beneath each tree, small mounds of earthworms rise like miniature pyramids - the tireless work of nature’s own diligent builders.

I find myself reflecting that Nguyen Khoa Diem possessed the depth of experience and sensitivity to articulate his love for the nation in a way uniquely his own. For a farmer like me, lacking such literary gifts and life experience, it is no simple task to define a word that seems so ordinary yet is profoundly sacred: the Country.

Land and water: Finite resources, lifelines of generations

At Unifarm’s high-tech agricultural complex spanning more than 411 hectares in Phu Giao District of Binh Duong Province, now Phuoc Thanh Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, most of the land 16 years ago had been depleted and compacted after years of cassava and bamboo cultivation under chemical-intensive practices. Yet the site held a critical advantage: it borders the Be River and the Phuoc Hoa Dam, providing abundant irrigation water.

It was here that Aviel Sade, then Unifarm’s technical director, tasted handfuls of soil and sipped river water upon his arrival, an instinctive, deeply personal gesture from a man who had devoted his life to the advancement of Israeli agriculture.

“On this land, our mission is not merely to implement a successful high-tech agricultural project,” he said. “We must do it with integrity and sustainability. Land and water are finite resources, the lifeblood that has nourished generations of farmers, our grandparents, ourselves, and those yet to come.”

From that conviction, Unifarm structured all investments around a synchronized philosophy: land, water, people, crops and sustainable development as the foundation. The company boldly adopted global advances such as no-till farming, organic microbial fertilizers to restore soil fertility, and biological products in place of chemical-based inputs.

Despite its natural water advantage, Unifarm committed to Israeli automated irrigation systems to improve efficiency and conserve water. Agricultural byproducts were converted into organic fertilizers and value-added products long before the concept of circular agriculture gained traction in Vietnam.

Today, this integrated model has expanded across 2,000 hectares of export-oriented banana and cantaloupe farms, with more than one-quarter of the acreage cultivated by partner enterprises and farmers receiving Unifarm’s technical transfer.

By investing heavily in science and technology to build differentiation and competitive strength - while placing effective land and water management at the core of sustainable development - Unifarm’s growth may be slower than some major industry players. Yet the choice brings a particular sense of fulfillment: contributing to a responsible, sustainable agriculture that preserves vital natural resources for future generations.

The nation as pride

Unifarm planted its first crop in 2009, marking the beginning of its journey. By 2010, Unifarm-branded cantaloupes meeting GlobalGAP standards were widely distributed in domestic supermarkets, replacing much of Vietnam’s previously imported supply.

A major milestone came in 2014 when Unifarm shipped its first container of bananas to South Korea. A year later, exports reached Japan, launching more than a decade of winning over consumers in demanding markets.

Thanks to the efforts of Unifarm and other professionally invested banana enterprises, Vietnam, once primarily a domestic banana market, has risen to ninth globally in banana export value. In 2024, export revenue reached approximately $378.1 million and is projected to surpass $400 million in 2025.

Behind these figures lie years of sweat, sacrifice and relentless pressure moments when failure seemed inevitable.

As the pioneer bringing Vietnamese bananas to South Korea and Japan, we experienced the sting of watching our products consistently placed last in auctions in Seoul, Busan and Tokyo, often commanding the lowest prices due to limited brand recognition. In response, Unifarm adopted a steadfast principle: one highest quality standard for all markets.

A strategic partnership with Dole Food Company beginning in 2016 played a crucial role in gradually strengthening the credibility of Unifarm and Vietnamese bananas on the international stage.

By the end of 2024, Vietnam’s banana exports to China reached $261 million, accounting for 28.8% market share - on par with the Philippines, the world’s second-largest banana exporter. Exports totaled $67 million in South Korea (17.5% market share) and $32.6 million in Japan (3.3%).

Yet just as international market access improved, another crisis emerged.

In 2017, Panama disease - caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense - struck Unifarm’s Dau Tieng plantation in Binh Duong, devastating 150 hectares within two years. More alarming was the risk of cross-infection across other farms, coinciding with the global Covid-19 pandemic, making disease control even more complex.

Losses mounted. The young export banana industry faced the real possibility of being wiped out by this “dual pandemic.”

But where there is adversity, there is resilience.

In 2019, Unifarm scientists successfully developed and piloted a disease-resistant banana variety, Uni126. Today, it has restored thousands of hectares previously infected with Tropical Race 4 (TR4), demonstrating resistance rates of 95 - 98% and fruit quality considered superior to many resistant varieties worldwide.

At the “Solutions to Control Panama Disease in Bananas” forum organized on December 13, 2025, Dr. Chih-Ping Chao, former director of the Taiwan Banana Research Institute, remarked: “With the application of UNI126 in TR4-infected regions, there is no doubt Vietnam’s banana industry will be upgraded step by step and soon become a bright spot on the global banana map.”

Research institutions and organizations from Israel, Australia and the Philippines have since approached Unifarm to propose cooperation in trials, intellectual property registration and international promotion of Uni126 - clear evidence of global interest in Vietnam’s disease-resistant innovation.

By overcoming a challenge of global scale, Vietnam now stands before a dual opportunity: surpassing $1 billion in banana export value and joining the world’s leading exporters by 2030, while affirming the scientific capabilities of Vietnamese researchers.

At times I ask myself: what has given Unifarm the resilience to endure so many harsh winters over the past 16 years, if not the sacred and enduring pride of Vietnam itself, ever present in our hearts, urging us forward?

The nation is its people and living environment

In the early days of the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo, Unifarm has received encouraging news as procedures to officially register the Uni126 variety near completion.

At the same time, drawing on its experience in sustainable agriculture oriented toward human health and environmental protection, Unifarm continues to be selected by organizations and scientists from Israel, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan as a partner for research, trials and development of biological products - preparing for a broader transition from chemically dependent agriculture to biologically based farming.

Beyond these achievements, I remain deeply conscious of a debt owed to banana growers across the country. The challenge is not merely ensuring that Unifarm or a handful of large enterprises are shielded from the pandemic known as Panama disease, but that farmers of all scales have early access to Uni126. Scientific breakthroughs by Vietnamese researchers must first serve Vietnamese farmers.

In the journey ahead, Unifarm will continue expanding technology transfer in seed varieties, sustainable cultivation processes, agricultural solutions and biological products. We are committed to never competing with or replacing farmers. Instead, we must fulfill our pioneering and guiding role, working toward a responsible and sustainable agricultural sector.

My wish at the start of this spring is simple: that Vietnamese farmers find fulfillment in their profession, and live well from the value we collectively create in service of people and the living environment.

In closing

For many years, a motto has stood at the entrance to Unifarm’s office:

“Farming is loving the Land and the Nation.”

It serves as a daily reminder to safeguard land and water as precious resources and lifelines; to uphold the pride of Vietnam; and to preserve a spirit of sharing and service for people and for the environment.

For me, that is what it means to love the country.