Mr. Hien is a farmer from the mountainous district of Ninh Son, Ninh Thuan province. He has entered agriculture in his forties, despite much discouragement from friends and family. However, he proved that he was right. He now grows Vietnam’s seedless lime for export to Europe, earning hundreds of millions of VND each month.
In early August, we followed officials from the district to visit Mr. Hien’s nearly 30-hectare seedless lime farm in the mountainous region of Ninh Son.
Vietnam’s seedless lime farm
Busy working in the vast fields of Vietnam’s seedless lime, Mr. Hien cheerfully shared that this season had the highest yield ever. Therefore, it required him to double his labor force to harvest in time for an export order to the Netherlands.
Originally from Lang Dong province, Mr. Hien and his wife used to work in construction. Renting land and farming in Ninh Thuan initially started as a “side job.” After multiple failed attempts to grow temperate crops in Ninh Thuan’s hot and windy climate, their family lost everything.
Unwilling to accept failure, in 2019, his family switched to growing seedless limes on 30 hectares. Surprisingly, they were successful.
“Before, my wife and I had a stable income from construction and selling ornamental stones. However, repeated failures in agriculture were hard to accept. Many friends and family tried to stop us when we moved to Ninh Thuan to farm. They were afraid we were making the wrong choice. These days, we enjoy the sweet taste of limes every day,” Mr. Hien said with a smile.
Recalling his time moving to Ninh Thuan to find new crop varieties, Mr. Hien shared: “Fearing failure again, I thoroughly researched various farming models in the Mekong Delta and studied online. Eventually, I decided to invest in seedless lime varieties and partner with a foreign export company targeting the Dutch market.”
Vietnam’s seedless lime
In 2019, he planted 30 hectares of seedless lime at a density of 400 trees per hectare. After two years, in early 2021, he began harvesting the first crops. Then, he sold to a company committing to purchase at market prices.
“The first batch yielded about ten tons. Since then, the output has steadily increased as the trees have established strong roots. Now, after nearly three years, the harvest has grown by about 70%. Currently, we’re harvesting around 40 tons per month across the 30 hectares,” Mr. Hien explained.
His farm has signed a contract with a company in Can Tho province. This company specializes in purchasing seedless limes for export to the Netherlands, ensuring stable demand and pricing. On average, his family earns about 600 million VND per month.
Mr. Hien grew Vietnam’s seedless lime using a proprietary care process that meets Globalgap standards. He used no unauthorized pesticides. Also, each fruit of Globalgap seedless lime should weigh between 50–100g to meet export requirements.
“As long as we meet the required standards, there’s no need to worry about market demand or pricing. For every kilogram of clean limes exported to the Netherlands, the company even gives a 1,000 VND bonus. This helps cover labor costs and gives growers peace of mind. No more worrying about prices dropping during bumper harvests,” Mr. Hien said happily.
Seedless lime packing house
He noted that unlike many local crops, Vietnamese seedless lime is drought-resistant, relatively pest-free, and easy to care for. These characteristics make it ideal for the Ninh Son climate.
Seedless limes can offer fruits all year-round. In the meanwhile, demand in European markets, especially the Netherlands, is strong, with stable prices. If farmers follow proper cultivation techniques, the potential is very promising.
Thanks to his resilience and hard work, the seedless lime crop now brings his family a stable income. Each month, his farm provides regular employment for 15–20 local workers, with monthly wages of 5–7 million VND.
“Our seedless limes are well-received in European markets, so I hope to expand cultivation right here in sun-drenched Ninh Thuan. I plan to form a cooperative and work with local farmers to convert inefficient crop land into seedless lime farms to improve household incomes,” he confidently concluded.
Vietnamese source: https://trangtraiviet.danviet.vn/trong-chanh-khong-hat-xuat-khau-thu-nhap-hang-tram-trieu-dong-20220830151058691-d54977.html