Thanh Hung standardizes growing areas to boost fruit value

Thanh Hung Commune was formed through the merger of Tan Thanh, Tan Hung and An Thai Trung communes, formerly in Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province. The locality has strong agricultural production potential, with orchard farming playing an important role in the local economy.

According to a report by the Thanh Hung Commune People’s Committee, the commune currently has 4,007 ha of fruit orchards, including 2,224 ha of durian. In addition to durian, local growers also cultivate mangoes, jackfruit, lemons, star apples and various other fruit crops.

Increasing the value of durian

Of the commune’s total durian-growing area, around 1,752 ha is currently at fruit-bearing age. In 2025, Thanh Hung’s durian output reached approximately 30,600 tonnes, up 9,200 tonnes year on year.

Nguyen Thanh Long, a farmer in Hamlet 6, has a 1-ha orchard. He previously grew mangoes but switched to Dona durian after finding that mango farming was not sufficiently profitable.

According to Long, his durian orchard produced around 18 tonnes of fruit last year, which he sold at approximately VND 80,000/kg, generating more than VND1 billion in revenue.

“Previously, one hectare of mangoes generated around VND 200-300 million, while switching to Dona durian brought in much higher revenue. To achieve good results, farmers need to apply scientific and technical advances in cultivation and off-season flowering management. I also limit the use of chemical fertilizers and prioritize organic fertilizers,” Long said.

Alongside improving production efficiency, Thanh Hung is gradually standardizing export-growing areas. The locality currently manages 52 export-growing area codes covering a total of 1,223.23 ha and involving more than 2,300 farming households. Of these, 36 are durian-growing area codes for export to China, covering 960.66 ha.

Nguyen Hoang Vu, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hung Commune People’s Committee, said the locality would continue coordinating with specialized agencies to transfer scientific and technical advances to farmers, with a particular focus on durian cultivation.

“The commune invites specialized agencies to provide technical training and guidance on solutions to control cadmium, manage off-season flowering and prevent leaf blight. We also regularly inspect orchards, irrigation systems and embankment compartments to ensure adequate water supply and drainage for production,” Vu said.

Thanh Hung currently has 37 embankment compartments with a combined length of more than 140 km, covering an area of over 5,300 ha. The locality regularly reviews its network of embankments, sluice gates and dams to proactively respond to high tides and protect agricultural production.

Agricultural production has also created favorable conditions for the development of trade, services and the collective economy. The commune currently has 86 operating businesses and six agricultural service cooperatives. Many local businesses are engaged in agricultural produce procurement, particularly jackfruit and durian.

Standardizing growing areas to sustain growth

The development of orchard farming in Thanh Hung is also aligned with the broader agricultural development strategy of Dong Thap Province, where fruit production is one of the key sectors contributing significantly to growth.

According to Le Ha Luan, Director of the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment, in the final months of 2026, the sector will proactively inspect production activities and coordinate with localities, particularly those with large shares of fruit, aquaculture and livestock production, to implement measures to boost output.

At a conference reviewing the first six months of 2026, Dong Thap’s agricultural sector set a target of approximately 4.7% annual growth for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector, higher than the initial target of 4-4.5%.

For fruit production, one of the sector’s key priorities is controlling cadmium levels in agricultural products from production areas serving export markets.

According to Le Ha Luan, the sector is coordinating with localities with large fruit-growing areas to identify production zones, assess the situation and implement measures to control cadmium, thereby helping ensure the quality of agricultural products.

At the same time, the sector will continue to strengthen the establishment and management of growing area codes for export-oriented production. This will help farmers standardize cultivation practices, control the use of plant protection products, maintain production records and improve product quality.

Under its 2026 socio-economic development plan, Thanh Hung aims to achieve a fruit output of 87,500 tonnes and an average per capita income of VND89 million per year. In 2025, the commune’s average per capita income stood at VND83 million per year. The commune currently has 58 poor households with 217 people, down by 21 households year on year.

Huynh Duc Thanh, Secretary of the Thanh Hung Commune Party Committee, said that following the administrative restructuring, the locality is better positioned to make use of its infrastructure and concentrated production areas. Consensus among the political system and local residents is an important condition for implementing socio-economic development tasks.

In the coming period, Thanh Hung will continue leveraging its strengths in orchard farming, improving new-style rural development criteria, encouraging safe agricultural production, and expanding production and market linkages. Alongside fruit cultivation, the locality plans to develop freshwater aquaculture and diversify livelihoods for local residents.

With more than 4,000 ha of fruit orchards and an established system of growing area codes, Thanh Hung is moving toward standardized production, improving agricultural product quality and expanding market linkages, laying a foundation for orchard farming to continue contributing to local development.

According to the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment, in the first six months of 2026, the province’s total fruit-growing area reached 135,331 ha, up 897 ha from the same period in 2025. Harvested output reached approximately 1.25 million tonnes. In the final six months of the year, the province aims to produce an additional 1.25 million tonnes, bringing total annual fruit output to around 2.5 million tonnes.

$ 1 = VND 26,330 - Source: Vietcombank.