Binh Phuoc: Linking to develop bamboo shoots

The rainy season is the time when bamboo shoot growers enter the main harvest season. Young bamboo shoots sprout profusely, and daily output gradually increases. However, the low price of fresh bamboo shoots makes the joy of the farmers incomplete. With the goal of sustainable production, bamboo growers have sought solutions to overcome difficulties to develop the economy .

Increase output to compensate for price fluctuations

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh's family in Quarter 4, Hung Long Ward, Chon Thanh Town has 10 hectares of bamboo for bamboo shoots. At the beginning of the rainy season, bamboo shoots begin to be harvested in abundance. On average, his family harvests about 5 tons of fresh bamboo shoots per day, a higher yield than in the dry season. In order to harvest in time and sell to traders at the wholesale market in Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City), every day from 5 am, his family and hired workers go out to the garden with boots on, knives in hand, to collect bamboo shoots. At around 7 am, the bamboo shoots are gathered into piles to be cleaned, classified and priced. After that, traders load the bamboo shoots onto trucks to transport them to Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Thanh said: “During the dry season, bamboo shoots yield is low but the price is high, at one point 32,000 VND/kg of fresh bamboo shoots. However, the price is currently low, only 5,000 VND/kg. However, for me, having a daily income is happiness. My family will both harvest and take care of the garden to get the output to compensate for price fluctuations.”

The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Quarter 4, Hung Long Ward, Chon Thanh Town (middle) has just expanded the area of bamboo cultivation for bamboo shoots.

In the rainy season, bamboo shoots grow profusely, and growers use their output to compensate for price fluctuations.

According to Mr. Thanh, in the rainy season, the soil is soft, the nutrients in the soil are dissolved, helping the bamboo shoots grow strongly. A bamboo clump can produce more than 10 bamboo shoots. To ensure the quality of the bamboo shoots, beautiful appearance, solid core, young and crispy, his family regularly fertilizes and adds nutrients to the soil. In addition to organic fertilizer and decomposed manure applied directly to the base of the tree, his family also spreads urea fertilizer on the ground.

In Chon Thanh Town, in addition to newly independent households like Mr. Thanh's family, most households growing bamboo shoots participate in cooperatives. Mr. Nguyen Kim Thanh, Director of Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative, said: The cooperative currently has 20 members, with a cultivation area of about 20 hectares. The average productivity of the cooperative is 500 kg/ha/day. Normally, every year during the rainy season, the price of bamboo shoots gradually decreases. However, this year, the market is more unpredictable. Right at the beginning of the season, the price of fresh bamboo shoots decreased sharply. If at this time last year, people sold for 12,000-15,000 VND/kg, now it is only about 5,000 VND/kg. The sudden decrease forced us to consider other options.

“To help members stabilize production and ensure income, the Board of Directors of the Cooperative has developed a plan to dry, boil, and pickle bamboo shoots. Many years ago, the Cooperative purchased a dryer to produce dried bamboo shoots, with a drying capacity of 1 ton/30 hours. The Cooperative has a factory, warehouse, and preliminary processing of bamboo shoots right in the growing area, near the People's Committee of Thanh Tam Ward. In the past few days, the dryer has been under maintenance, the warehouse and drying yard have been cleaned and are ready for operation. If they cannot dry all of them, member families will boil or pickle them and sell them directly at Chon Thanh Market and restaurants, eateries, and industrial parks in the province,” Mr. Thanh shared.

Expanding raw material areas

Ms. Trieu My Nhung, owner of a plant seedling production facility in Quarter 1, Thanh Tam Ward, an associate partner of Thanh Tam Bamboo Cooperative, said: “My family has nearly 30 years of experience in producing various types of seedlings. In recent years, bamboo seedlings have been purchased a lot by people in Chon Thanh and neighboring areas. In 2023, my family sold about 15,000 seedlings. This year, it is predicted that market demand will continue to increase, so my family has produced more than 25,000 seedlings, including four-season, field bamboo, ship bamboo, and six-leaf bamboo. The average selling price is 35,000 VND/tree.”

Ms. Trieu My Nhung, owner of a plant variety production facility in Ward 1, Thanh Tam Ward, introduces bamboo varieties to the Board of Directors of Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative.

Currently, the rapid urbanization has gradually reduced the agricultural land area in Chon Thanh Town. Therefore, some households have rented land and expanded their cultivation area in communes in Binh Duong Province, bordering Binh Phuoc. Some households have expanded their area in Quang Minh and Nha Bich communes, Chon Thanh Town. Mr. Tran Quang Sac, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quang Minh Commune, shared that his family has just completed a "project" of 3 hectares of bamboo for bamboo shoots in Bau Teng Hamlet, Quang Minh Commune. Thanks to taking advantage of many facilities such as wells, irrigation pipes, and factories (previously used to grow tangerines), the initial cost has been significantly reduced. “After leveling the ground, installing irrigation pipes, digging holes, buying seedlings, and when it rained in early June, my family hired someone to plant them. The plants have now taken root and sprouted. For sustainable production, my family has invested systematically, including concrete roads for convenient transportation, a convenient drainage system, a drying yard, and a spacious warehouse. My family will cooperate with Thanh Tam Bamboo Shoot Cooperative and other businesses to sell bamboo shoot products to the people,” said Mr. Sac.

According to Mr. Sac, the model of growing bamboo for shoots has many advantages. Bamboo is easy to grow and has less loss than other plants. The investment capital for seedlings is not high. The strength of bamboo is that it can be grown in most soil conditions, especially in arid areas with gravel, sandy clay soil where other plants are difficult to grow, bamboo still grows. After 1 year of planting, bamboo begins to yield shoots. In particular, bamboo has few pests and diseases, and its productivity and quality depend largely on fertilizer and irrigation water. Therefore, if these two factors are met well, bamboo growers will have a stable income. Currently, in Bau Teng hamlet, Quang Minh commune, in addition to some local households growing bamboo, there are also 5 households from Tay Ninh province renting land to grow bamboo. The total area is estimated at about 20 hectares.

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