Trần Văn Ban, a farmer in Bàu Sầm Quarter, Long Khánh Ward, is one of the first growers in the locality to cultivate organic pomelos for export. He makes effective use of agricultural by-products to produce organic compost, which is applied to nourish his pomelo orchard under organic farming practices.
For many years, Ban’s organic pomelo orchard has supplied fruit to an enterprise that exports to demanding international markets. As a result, farm-gate prices have remained consistently high, generating strong economic returns.
According to Trần Văn Ban, his orchard is located on black basalt soil with layers of laterite beneath the surface, making the land more selective for crops than many other areas. In 1999, he planted his first 30 pomelo trees as a trial. After discovering that the soil was highly suitable for pomelo cultivation, producing both high yields and excellent fruit quality, he gradually expanded the orchard. Today, his family cultivates nearly two hectares of pink-fleshed green-skin pomelos. Most of the trees are mature, with some orchards more than 10 years old and others nearly 20 years old.
Ban recalled that, in the early years, he relied heavily on chemical fertilizers under conventional farming practices. Although the trees grew vigorously with lush foliage, the fruit quality was disappointing. Despite high production costs, the economic returns failed to meet expectations. This prompted him to learn from experienced growers and transition to organic farming.
Currently, Ban sells export-grade organic pomelos at a farm-gate price of VND 40,000 per kilogram. At this price, his orchard generates substantial profits.
Comparing the two production methods, Ban said that after switching to organic cultivation, the soil gradually became looser and more fertile. One of the greatest benefits has been the ability to cut grass in the orchard and recycle naturally fallen young pomelos, along with other agricultural by-products, into low-cost organic fertilizer. More recently, he has also made use of abundant durian peels from local export packing facilities. He hires trucks to transport the peels to his orchard. He then applies indigenous microbial cultures and composts them for about three months until they decompose into nutrient-rich organic matter that greatly benefits the trees.
Ban added that protecting the health of himself and his family was his primary motivation for adopting organic farming. At the same time, exporting pomelos requires strict compliance with food safety standards. Organic cultivation has enabled him to consistently meet the rigorous requirements of even the most demanding export markets.
Throughout the orchard, Ban plants strips of flowering plants between the pomelo rows. This natural pest management strategy attracts bees, ladybugs, praying mantises, and spiders, which help control pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and red spider mites. Bees also improve pollination, increasing fruit set. These ecological practices significantly reduce the need for chemical pesticides, benefiting both the environment and farmers’ health.
Ban also recycles plastic bottles to make traps for oriental fruit flies. Using homemade traps instead of chemical sprays helps protect both the orchard ecosystem and growers while producing clean, high-quality pomelos suitable for export.
According to Ban, international demand for fresh fruit, including pomelos, remains strong. However, export markets impose strict quality requirements. Each fruit must typically weigh between 1.6 and 1.8 kilograms, have a uniform round shape, an attractive glossy rind with consistent coloration, and meet clearly defined internal quality standards.
Ban believes that the technical practices required to produce export-quality pomelos can be adopted by any grower. The greatest challenge lies in maintaining meticulous care throughout every stage of cultivation to achieve a high proportion of export-grade fruit. He has also partnered with many local growers, sharing organic cultivation techniques. This has helped increase the supply of export-quality pomelos in the area.
Vietnamese source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/nong-nghiep/202606/trong-buoi-huu-co-cho-thi-truong-xuat-khau-4840410/
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