From degraded land to “macadamia capital”

From the center of Tuần Giáo commune, following the introduction of the Chairman of the commune People’s Committee Quàng Văn Cương, we sought out the home of Mr. Là Văn Tranh in Pha Nàng village, one of the first households to plant macadamia trees in the commune. Following a small concrete road to the end of Pha Nàng village, I was greeted by the sight of a lush, approximately 10-year-old macadamia orchard, planted to proper standards. Having just finished the harvest, Mr. Tranh’s family was focused on pruning branches, weeding the bases of the trees, and applying fertilizer.

While pruning, Mr. Tranh cheerfully shared: “This year, my family harvested more than a ton of fresh macadamia nuts, with prices ranging from VND 30,000 to 50,000 per kilogram depending on the quality. This is a stable source of income for our family, much better than corn and rice.”

As “good news travels fast,” inspired by Mr. Tranh’s first macadamia orchard, many people in Tuần Giáo commune proactively converted their degraded corn and rice fields to macadamia cultivation, with support and guidance from the local government on techniques, seedlings, and fertilizer. In 2023, the family of Lò Văn An in Sái Ngoài village, Tuần Giáo commune, converted nearly one hectare of corn land to macadamia trees.

Mr. An shared: “Thanks to correctly applying the care procedures guided by commune officials, our family’s macadamia orchard is growing and developing well. To reduce costs and labor, I invested in a drip irrigation system.”

Implementing the agricultural restructuring plan, the party committee and government of Tuần Giáo commune selected macadamia as the key crop. As soon as the policy was agreed upon, the entire political system began the crop conversion effort. Officials and civil servants at the commune level adopted the motto “Go to every alley, knock on every door, and persuade every person.” Simultaneously, they ramped up communication through mass media, mobile outreach, and the commune and village loudspeaker systems, and established Zalo groups from the commune down to each hamlet and village.

Despite facing many difficulties and challenges during implementation, thanks to a decisive, proactive, and creative approach, the development of macadamia trees in the commune has met and exceeded the set plan, with dozens of projects supporting macadamia cultivation linkages being launched. From 2020 to the present, the commune has newly planted 2,396.3 hectares of macadamia, turning Tuần Giáo into the province’s “macadamia capital.” To ensure a stable market for the product, Tuần Giáo commune has signed a memorandum of understanding with TH Group for the purchase of all macadamia nuts in the area. According to the memorandum, TH Group commits to purchasing all macadamia nuts for a period of 50 years, at prices benchmarked against the Australian market.

The crop structure transformation in Tuần Giáo commune has contributed to a shift from corn monoculture to macadamia cultivation; residents are participating in cooperative groups, cooperatives, and production models based on linked chains. Through these implemented models, people are gradually mastering technical processes to apply in their production, especially in selecting high-quality, high-yield varieties suitable for the local natural conditions. This helps households make good use of labor and land, contributing to creating stable jobs and increasing income.

Focusing on enhancing product value

Witnessing the process of drying, cracking, packaging, and labeling macadamia nut products at the home of Ms. Quàng Thị Thoa in Minh Thắng village, Tuần Giáo commune, we saw the effectiveness of applying science, technology, and machinery in agricultural processing by farmers here. Since 2017, with the desire to enhance the value of local agricultural products, Ms. Thoa has researched and learned the macadamia nut processing procedure. Thanks to the application of science, technology, and machinery in the processing, the split-shell roasted macadamia product from Ms. Thoa’s family has a unique natural flavor and retains high nutritional value.

Starting with fresh, uniform macadamia nuts, after the outer husk is removed and the nuts are cleaned, they are dried in an industrial dryer, ensuring safety for consumers. After drying, the macadamia nuts are packaged with labels and a QR code for traceability, making them easy to use and store. From a product that only served customers within the province, Ms. Thoa’s split-shell roasted macadamia has now been well-received by a large number of customers in major markets such as Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City. Currently, along with the split-shell roasted macadamia product, which has achieved 3-star OCOP product certification, Ms. Thoa’s family also offers other macadamia products such as macadamia sesame salt, macadamia liqueur, macadamia kernels, and macadamia oil.

Ms. Quàng Thị Thoa stated: “With a workshop area of nearly 100 square meters, two dryers, one cracking machine, one vacuum sealer, and one packaging machine, our family purchases and consumes an average of about 20 tons of fresh macadamia nuts from local people each year.”

Not only does it help increase product value and create a stable income for her family, but Ms. Thoa’s processing facility has also created seasonal jobs for 5 to 10 local laborers, with an average income of VND 3 to 5 million per month. Currently, Ms. Thoa’s family has signed commitments to purchase fresh macadamia nuts for many households in Tuần Giáo commune.

It is clear that investing in the application of advanced machinery and equipment in macadamia production and processing not only brings high economic efficiency but also opens a new path in the transition from purely agricultural production to commodity production, enhancing the product’s competitiveness in the market, reducing labor, and lowering production costs.