Located in a mountainous region, Pu Nhi commune, Điện Biên province benefits from a distinctive highland climate suitable for industrial and fruit crops. With its relatively favorable geographical location, just a 40-minute drive from the provincial center, Pu Nhi has favorable conditions for developing concentrated fruit-growing areas.

To harness the area’s natural advantages, over the past few years, the local Party Committee and authorities have stepped up communication campaigns encouraging residents to switch crop structures. Inefficient maize and cassava fields on sloping land have gradually been replaced with perennial fruit trees such as pears, plums, peaches, and pyrus granulosa. The fruit tree cultivation model has emerged as a promising economic direction for local households.

According to Nguyễn Đình Minh, Vice Chairman of the Pu Nhi commune People’s Committee, the commune has actively implemented various cooperative programs to expand areas for industrial and fruit crops. In 2023, under national target programs such as socio-economic development for ethnic minority and mountainous areas and sustainable poverty reduction, the commune organized technical training sessions on growing and caring for macadamia and yellow pears. Preliminary evaluations show that perennial fruit trees are thriving with minimal pests, well-suited to local conditions.

At present, besides traditional perennial fruit trees like peaches, plums, and mac cop, locals are also expanding cultivation of yellow pear trees. The area planted with yellow pears alone has exceeded 40 hectares, with products primarily sold at Pu Nhi’s local markets or traditional markets in the former Điện Biên Phủ city area.

Hạng A Tủa, a resident of Háng Trợ village, shared: “Since 2023, my family has gradually shifted our crop structure, converting remote, inefficient maize and cassava fields into fruit orchards. We also intercrop short-term fruit varieties like melon and pumpkin. On 3,000 square meters of land, we planted nearly 300 yellow pear trees. If weather conditions are favorable, we expect the trees to start bearing fruit by 2026.”

One of the earliest adopters of perennial fruit tree farming in Pu Nhi, Lò Văn Dung from Nậm Ngám village owns an orchard with peaches, plums, and mac cop. Harvested fruits are either sold directly to traders at the orchard or retailed at markets. Prices range from VND 15,000 to 25,000 per kg, depending on the type and size, bringing in hundreds of millions of dong annually.

Dung noted: “Since my family is small, most of our land has been converted to perennial fruit trees. We have around 1,000 trees of various kinds. Currently, we are harvesting from 300 pear trees, averaging 100kg per tree per season. At VND 15,000 per kg, this provides a significant income for our household.”

In recent years, the expansion of fruit tree cultivation in Pu Nhi has played a vital role in changing crop structures on sloping lands, protecting the environment, and diversifying local livelihoods. The adoption of high-value perennial fruit varieties has significantly contributed to stable and sustainable socio-economic development in this highland region.

Trần Nhâm