The VietGAP custard apple granary on the rock mountain slope

Prominent quality thanks to the VietGAP process

La Hien commune, located to the west of Vo Nhai district (Thai Nguyen province), has a large area of mountains and hills, which creates favorable natural conditions for fruit cultivation, particularly the custard apple. The La Hien custard apple has a distinctive aroma, a rich, sweet flavor, and white flesh, and is widely favored by consumers. The essence of the specialty custard apple goes, as a result of the efforts and zeal of the residents of La Hien. 

Prior to roughly 20 years ago, residents of the commune of La Hien cultivated sugar cane, tea, and other fruits with poor economic efficiency. Since the turn of the century, residents have begun cultivating the custard apple tree. Thanks to the transformation, the residents' economy and standard of living improved. The custard apple has assisted the locals in eliminating starvation and destitution. In addition to the custard apple plantations, they would construct sturdy homes. 

To improve the quality and branding of La Hien custard apple, locals have adopted the VietGAP process for custard apple production since 2018, at the direction of local authorities. 

Mr. Chu The Dong has been cultivating custard apples according to the VietGAP standard in the 5-star garden in Hien Binh hamlet, La Hien commune, for the past five years. According to Mr. Dong, the custard apple produced in Vietnam has many advantages over custard apples grown in other regions, including a more attractive appearance, thinner epidermis, and a sweeter flavor.

Mr. Dong explained that the custard apple tree must be pruned in January, as part of the process of caring for the plant. Then, he accumulates branches and leaves to demolish and fire in order to prevent the emergence of pests and diseases. The next stage is to remove weeds from around the tree's base. Fertilization must be performed at the appropriate time. For instance, after pruning, fertilization is required. For the plant to germinate, it is necessary to apply an additional layer of fertilizer after the tree flowers. In addition, biological pesticides must be sprayed to prevent parasites and diseases of flowers and plant sprouts.

Mr. Dong stated that when applying the VietGAP process to the cultivation of na, producers must pay attention to two factors. The irrigation and drainage system comes first. Mr. Dong stated, "The custard apple tree does not require as much water as other crops, but during periods of prolonged heat, it must be regularly watered in the afternoon and when the weather is cool."

To prevent fungal diseases, it is necessary to irrigate the roots with water containing pesticides or to saturate the trunk with pesticide-infused water.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thong, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Extension Center of Thai Nguyen province, it is difficult to transport fertilizers to the La Hien custard apple growing region because the trees are cultivated on limestone mountains.

Consequently, in the past, chemical fertilizers were the most prevalent. However, through the model of "Application of science and technology for intensive cultivation of custard apple in Thai Nguyen province," the Center has communicated with and encouraged farmers to transition to microbial organic fertilizers to assure product quality and safety in production.

"The use of microbial organic fertilizers will have a lasting effect, but will not produce the same immediate results as chemical fertilizers." Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thong explained that people must excavate a trench to fertilize the root in order for the application of micro-organic fertilizers to be highly effective.

The dispersed harvest of custard apple granary

La Hien commune has approximately 320ha of custard apple (representing more than 60% of the fruit-growing area in Vo Nhai district), of which 105ha are VietGAP-certified and produce over 3,000 tons annually.

The Na La Hien Cooperative, founded in 2020, has seven members and a total production area of thirteen hectares. Since 2021, the cooperative has participated in the model of "Application of science and technology to intensively cultivate custard apple in Thai Nguyen province" implemented by the Thai Nguyen Agricultural Extension Center on a 1.5ha scale with 5 participating households. 

The model is implemented with the intention of producing high-quality goods and extending the harvest season to satisfy market demands.

In addition, the model seeks to improve product quality, increase income per unit area, create jobs, enhance people's lives, and establish new directions through the application of technological advances to the production and consumption of products associated with their association.

According to Mr. Le Viet Ha, Vice Chairman of the La Hien Commune People's Committee, specialized agencies have researched and affirmed that the soil in La Hien is composed of limestone mountains, making it ideally suited for the cultivation of custard apples. In La Hien, the custard apple tree produces fruit with greater nutritional value and a sweeter flavor than in other growing regions.

In order to build a brand for La Hien custard apple, which has been recognized as an OCOP product, local authorities have recently focused on selecting high-quality custard apples and deploying branding for consumption in certain supermarket chains, fairs, and e-commerce channels.