Golden fruit “awakens” barren land

Yellow bananas have long been regarded as a “golden fruit,” helping to improve the lives of people in the highland communes of Tan Minh and Tan Lap in Thanh Son district.

According to the locals, yellow bananas have been present in Tan Minh and Tan Lap lands since the Muong people arrived to establish hamlets and villages.

In 2007, the Thanh Son District People’s Committee carried out the project "Expanding the area of yellow banana trees in Tan Minh commune." Initially, the project covered nearly 40 hectares, primarily in the Dan and Dong Giao areas. Seeing the effect, people have invested in planting and expanding the area to 60ha in Tan Minh commune and approximately 130ha in Tan Lap commune, greening the mountains of Dong Hang, Nang Bridge, Truong Hill. With the guidance of agricultural extension staff, farmers can plant and take care of their crops to ensure high quality and yield. Yellow bananas, which were previously only found deep in the forest, can now be grown beautifully with an average yield of 180 quintals per hectare. The income generated from each hectare of bananas is around 60-70 million VND, making it a profitable venture for many households. Some families have even expanded their banana farms to over 2 hectares, and a few even have additional crops like shavings. This income from bananas is much greater than that of rice cultivation and afforestation. In addition, the expanded invested roads have created favorable conditions for traders to buy. Yellow bananas are well known and the consumption market is expanding day by day.

According to Mr. Ha The Anh, the Deputy Head of Agriculture and Rural Development of the district, the district is aiming to develop the yellow banana plant as a distinctive product of the district. The goal is to achieve stable development with an area of approximately 85 hectares by 2025, including one or two concentrated planting areas ranging from 3 to 5 hectares. The plan also involves building the trademark “Thanh Son yellow banana” towards becoming a 3-star OCOP product.

Hopefully, with the efforts of local authorities and the enthusiasm of the people, the yellow chalk banana tree will soon be restored and thrive, becoming one of the area’s key crops. Banana products are available on supermarket shelves of high-quality agricultural products, giving people more motivation to pursue economic development and enrichment in their home country.

Thu Huong