Unlike many specialized pineapple cultivation areas in the lowlands, Phình Giàng pineapples are grown on high hillsides and steep slopes, which used to be upland rice and cassava fields. Currently, the total pineapple area in Phình Giàng has reached over 60 ha, predominantly consisting of the sweet pineapple variety.

Previously, the pineapple plants were brought by locals from Pu Lau village, Mường Nhà commune, to grow around their houses to serve family needs. Each household had from a few roots to a few dozen roots, and whenever they had guests, they would pick a few fruits as gifts.

Over the past two years, realizing that the pineapple plant suits the natural conditions, yields high productivity, and attracts an increasing number of traders for purchase, residents began expanding the cultivation area, focusing primarily on three villages: Nà Nếnh A, B, and C. To date, pineapple has become a crop that generates a significant income source, contributing to poverty reduction for many households here.

On the pineapple field of Sùng Vũ Trụ in Nà Nếnh A village, the entire family has been busy harvesting pineapples since early morning. Golden ripe pineapples are cut and stacked into piles, awaiting transport from the field down to the road. The pineapples are sorted by size and neatly packed, waiting for traders to pick them up within the day. Currently, Trụ’s family owns about 6,000m² of pineapples.

“Last year was our first harvest, and my family earned around VND 30 million,” Sùng Vũ Trụ shared. “This year, the plants grew well, the fruits are large and uniform, so the yield has also increased. At present, the family has harvested about two-thirds of the area, earning around VND 40 million. If the weather remains favorable, our income by the end of the season will be considerably higher than last year.”

In Phình Giàng, pineapple fields are mainly converted by farmers to replace old, low-efficiency crops. The climate here features many sunny days and lower rainfall compared to neighboring areas. Consequently, the sweet pineapples here have a rich, deep sweetness, high sugar content, fragrance, and abundant juice. Each pineapple typically weighs from 1.5kg to 4kg, and thanks to its high quality, it is highly favored by traders.

The pineapple harvest season lasts from June to August every year. Depending on different fruit sizes, the price of pineapples fluctuates from around VND 4,000/kg to VND 10,000/kg. For many households, this is one of the important income sources helping stabilize their lives and step-by-step rise out of poverty.

Mùa Vàng Nếnh, from Nà Nếnh C village, Phình Giàng commune, shared his story. He has a leg disability that makes traveling difficult, and his family consists of five members, who were classified as a poor household before 2025. Now his family has shifted to growing pineapples on about 6,000m². In 2025, the family earned around VND 60 million from pineapples. Currently, their economy is less difficult, allowing them to repair their house - something the family had never thought of in previous years. This year, the price of pineapples varies at different times, sometimes selling for VND 9,000 to VND 10,000/kg, and sometimes dropping to VND 7,000 to VND 8,000/kg, but it remains much higher than cultivating corn and cassava.

Currently, in Nà Nếnh C village, the pineapple area stands at over 30 ha. For the locals, pineapple is gradually becoming the main crop, driving household economic development. Mùa A Cau, Head of Nà Nếnh C village, shared that when this season arrives, the entire village enters the pineapple harvest. Across all roads leading into the production areas, motorbikes continuously stream in and out, transporting pineapples to gathering points for traders to purchase. This year, every household enjoyed a bumper crop. Although prices have dropped slightly compared to last year, the villagers remain cheerful because pineapples bring higher economic value than other crops.

The efficiency of pineapples is clearly reflected in the lives of the villagers. Nà Nếnh C village has 87 households with more than 400 residents, and almost every household grows them, ranging from a minimum of 2,000m² to a maximum of 6,000m². Thanks to the income from pineapples, in 2025 alone, six households in the village transitioned from poor to near-poor status, and two poor and near-poor households completely escaped poverty.

In the late afternoon, as the sun gradually disappears behind the mountain ranges, silhouettes of people visiting their fields can still be seen across the hillsides. They inspect the pineapple areas to be harvested the following morning to catch the traders’ early transport trucks. The pineapple season will eventually draw to a close, but the sweetness of the honey pineapples and the faith in a more prosperous life remain on the hillsides of Phình Giàng.