Pineapple fields in Hưng Thạnh Commune in Tiền Giang Province’s Tân Phước District. – VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

TIỀN GIANG – Tiền Giang Province is fostering stronger linkages between the various stakeholders in pineapple cultivation and trading to secure sales of the fruit and improve farmers' incomes.

It has the largest pineapple-growing area in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, most of it in Tân Phước District in the Đồng Tháp Mười (Plain of Reeds) region.

Tân Phước has nearly 15,400 hectares under the fruit and grows 300,000 tonnes annually.

Pineapple and rice are the district’s two key agricultural products.

To ensure stable sales and pricing for farmers, the district has encouraged pineapple co-operatives to establish partnerships with stakeholders.

There are 18 agricultural co-operatives in the district, all focused on growing pineapple to a greater or lesser extent.

Many of these co-operatives have developed partnerships to enhance production efficiency and market stability for their members.

The Phú Mỹ Agriculture, Trading and Services Co-operative in Phú Mỹ Commune is among those proactively forging stakeholder linkages in pineapple farming and trade.

Nguyễn Thành Hiển, the co-operative’s director, said it has signed a farm contract with the Minh Hùng pineapple trading establishment in the district to supply and sell pineapples.

Under the contract, co-operative members are entitled to a purchase price that is VNĐ500 per kilogram higher than the market rate, he said.

Hiển himself owns 11 ha of land, including four hectares of pineapple, and earns an annual income of VNĐ1.1 billion (US$43,000).

Recognised for his achievements, he has been honoured as one of the province’s “outstanding farmers” by the People’s Committee.

Tân Phước has supported farmers in adopting high-quality farming standards, including Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) for pineapple cultivation.

Currently, 134 ha of pineapple in the district are VietGAP-certified.

The district has also diversified into making pineapple-based products like candy and juice to boost added value and sell in both domestic and overseas markets.

Trần Hoàng Phong, chairman of the district People’s Committee, said the production of pineapple-based goods has created thousands of jobs while increasing the fruit’s value, helping locals improve their incomes and escape poverty.

To harness the district’s potential for pineapple cultivation, the Tân Phước District People’s Committee has earmarked specialised pineapple-growing zones in Hưng Thạnh, Mỹ Phước, Thạnh Mỹ, Thạnh Tân, and Tân Hoà Đông communes.

These areas, though affected by alum in the soil and harsh natural conditions, are well-suited for pineapple farming.

Pineapple is relatively easy to grow and requires minimal maintenance, according to local farmers.

“The cultivation of pineapple is more stable than other crops, and its selling price remains consistent. When I’m busy with other work, I might not visit my pineapple fields for a week or 10 days, and it’s still fine,” Bùi Hữu Thiện of Phú Mỹ Commune said.

In the last 15 years, he has expanded his pineapple farm from three hectares to 20 ha.

The district has invested in farming infrastructure, particularly in pineapple-growing areas.

It has built embankments to safeguard 131 farming zones spread over 15,400 ha of pineapple and 3,000 hectares of other crops, including fruits.

It has built 198 electric pumping stations to prevent flooding and provide irrigation.

Farmers have been trained in advanced farming techniques, and the district has worked to improve existing pineapple varieties while selecting new ones to enhance yield and quality.

By adopting modern techniques, farmers can produce pineapples year-round, preventing oversupply and price drops during peak harvest seasons.

Nguyễn Văn Diện, who cultivates five hectares of pineapple in Mỹ Phước Town, said he has been trained in intensive farming techniques and now applies them, achieving an average yield of 25 tonnes per hectare, the highest in the town.

He earns annual profits of VNĐ500 million ($19,600) and employs dozens of local workers.

In the first two months of this year, farmers in the district harvested nearly 4,000 tonnes of pineapple, selling them for VNĐ7,000 per fruit and generating an income of VNĐ140 – 160 million ($5,500 – 6,300) per hectare. – VNS