Kim Thành is an agricultural commune of Hai Phong City. This crop, local farmers earn profits of tens of millions of VND per sào from growing Vietnam’s jicama. This humble crop has turned into a main source of income and a path to prosperity.
In the final days of November 2025, the atmosphere in the villages of Kim Thanh Commune is busier than usual. A steady stream of trucks and three-wheeled vehicles lines up, coming and going right to the edges of the fields to load produce. This marks the start of the harvest season for early jicama. Notably, Vietnamese jicama is a crop that local farmers plant ahead of time to meet year-end market demand.
Vietnam’s jicama
Mrs. Doan Thi Doan is a farmer from Phi Gia Village, Kim Thanh Commune. While swiftly stacking bundles of gleaming white jicama onto a truck, she could not hide her excitement. “This year’s the harvest of Vietnam’s jicama has been very good,” she said.
At the moment, Vietnamese vegetable companies are buying directly at the fields for about 12,000 VND per kilogram, while retail prices can reach 15,000 VND per kilogram. On average, I sell between 200 and 300 kilograms a day. On weekends, when demand is higher, sales can rise to as much as 500 kilograms,” Mrs. Doan added.
According to her, early-season jicama is available around three months ahead of the main crop. Although the tubers are smaller and not as sweet as those grown in the peak season, the scarcity of supply means prices are often about 1.5 times higher. At current prices, farmers are able to recover their investment costs right from the beginning of the harvest. As a result, they can also secure a profit early on.
Kim Thanh commune currently has 75 hectares of early-season jicama under harvest. The average yield reaches 2,000–2,500 kilograms per sào (360 square meters). This serves as a stepping stone before the locality enters the peak harvest of 226 hectares of main-season jicama. That main harvest is likely to take place in January 2026.
In Ky Coi Village (formerly part of Tam Ky Commune), local farming practices have undergone a complete shift. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Quy, who cultivates 2.7 sào of jicama, shared her perspective. “Here, people see rice farming mainly as a way to improve the soil and produce rice for household consumption,” she said. “If you want spending money or to build wealth, you have to rely on the winter crop. And Vietnam jicama is the key.”
Vietnam’s jicama bundles
According to Mrs. Quy, farmers plant Vietnam’s jicama from early July and it has a growing cycle of four to five months. The crop requires careful cultivation and a higher initial investment than rice. However, the economic returns are far superior.
“When prices are favorable, each sào can generate nearly 20 million VND,” Mrs. Quy explained. Even in a bad year, earnings still exceed 10 million VND per sào. All told, the two sào of land my family farms bring in nearly 50 million VND per crop. This amount is many times higher than growing rice or other vegetables,” she calculated.
Beyond relying on experience alone, farmers in Kim Thanh are increasingly focusing on intensive farming techniques. Mr. Nguyen Van Trang, a farmer in the Tam Ky field area, was busy pinching off vine tips for the second time on his three sào of white jicama. These fields will give harvest toward the end of 2025.
“Pinching the vines at the right time helps the plant concentrate nutrients on developing the tubers instead of the foliage,” Mr. Trang said. Thanks to proper care, my fields consistently maintain stable yields. After deducting all costs, my family earns a net profit of 20–30 million VND per sào. That’s why rice cultivation is mainly for maintaining the land and providing rice for household consumption. Meanwhile, Vietnamese yam bean has truly helped us escape poverty—and even build wealth,” he shared.
Vietnam’s jicama farms
The strong performance of jicama this year comes at a particularly significant moment. Kim Thanh Commune is a new commune after merging under Resolution No. 1669 dated June 16, 2025. Formerly, it included Dong Cam, Tam Ky, Dai Duc communes, and a part of Hoa Binh Commune. With a natural area of 34.79 square kilometers and a population of nearly 43,000, Kim Thanh has become a large-scale commune. It now possesses some of the most concentrated and fertile agricultural land in Hai Phong City.
Mr. Nguyen Van Nghiep is the Chairman of the Kim Thanh Commune People’s Committee. Speaking with reporters, he noted the impact of the merger. He said that it has not only expanded development space but also created favorable conditions for reorganizing and planning specialized production zones.
The locality is undergoing a period of strong transformation. On the one hand, the commune is carrying out land clearance for the 437.24-hectare Kim Thanh 2 Industrial Park to promote industrial development. On the other hand, commodity-based agriculture—particularly Vietnam’s jicama cultivation—continues to be identified as a key economic pillar.
“Building on our tradition of dynamism and creativity, we are moving toward developing a clean agricultural brand,” Mr. Nguyen Van Nghiep emphasized. At the same time, we aim to integrate Kim Thanh jicama into major supply chains. This will help ensure stable and sustainable market outlets for local people.”
Vietnamese source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nong-dan-xa-kim-thanh-thoat-ngheo-nho-cay-cu-dau-d787502.html