Dak Nong converts crops to prevent drought

Benefits of macadamia

15 years ago, Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district (Dak Nong) researched the direction of developing suitable crops for people in the context of climate change.

In particular, macadamia was identified by the commune as a suitable crop for the climate and land here. Since then, macadamia has grown strongly in Quang Truc and has truly brought economic efficiency to the people.

People in Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district grow macadamia because the tree needs little water and is economically efficient.

Previously, Mr. Dieu Pem in Bu P'rang 1 hamlet, Quang Truc commune, planted 3 hectares of coffee. In 2012, in response to the commune's policy of bringing macadamia trees to grow to develop the economy and adapt to climate change, Mr. Dieu Pem responded. He intercropped nearly 700 macadamia trees in his coffee garden.

Mr. Dieu Pem said that macadamia does not require much care and requires very little water. In the dry season, when watering coffee, you only need to water the macadamia with a little more water. Growing macadamia requires little investment in fertilizer and care.

With 700 macadamia trees, his family harvests about 4 tons of fresh fruit each year. Last year, he sold macadamia for 80,000 VND/kg, earning over 300 million VND.

Mr. Dieu Pem's macadamia garden in Bu P'rang 1 hamlet, Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district, planted since 2012, is proving to be drought-resistant.

The family of Mr. Dieu Dar, also in Bon Bu P'rang 1, Quang Truc commune, has had 1,000 macadamia trees intercropped with coffee since 2012. Thanks to good care, each year his family harvests about 9 tons of fresh macadamia nuts. In addition, he harvests 3.5 tons of coffee/ha.

Mr. Dieu Dar shared: “Each year, the family only spends about 20 million on fertilizer and care. Because of intercropping, in the first 2 years, macadamia needs watering but not much. After that, there is almost no need to water.”

Mr. Dieu Srao, Bu Gia village, Quang Truc commune chose to grow macadamia because this crop is drought resistant.

Currently, Quang Truc has about 1,470 hectares of macadamia. This is a crop that Quang Truc commune evaluates as bringing stable economic efficiency to the people. Many families have earned hundreds of millions of dong each year thanks to macadamia.

Mr. Doan Le Anh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Quang Truc commune, assessed that in the increasingly severe drought conditions, macadamia is proving to be a suitable crop.

This crop requires very little water. In Quang Truc, most farmers grow macadamia trees among coffee, pepper, cashews, etc. and achieve high efficiency. From the fourth year onwards, macadamia trees also become shade trees, helping coffee and pepper trees avoid drought and provide good wind protection.

Although it is the hot season, macadamia trees grown in Quang Truc commune, Tuy Duc district are blooming a lot, promising a fruitful season.

"Initially, macadamia trees were supported by the local authorities to be planted for some ethnic minority households to develop the economy, but now, many people have chosen this crop because of its drought resistance and stable economy," Mr. Anh informed.

Promote crop conversion

Faced with increasingly severe climate change, Dak Nong has proposed many adaptation solutions, of which crop restructuring is one of the important solutions.

Dak Nong People's Committee issued a plan to implement the crop restructuring plan to adapt to climate change in the period of 2022 - 2025, with a vision to 2030.

According to the roadmap, by 2030, Dak Nong will convert over 8,557 hectares of four key crops including coffee, pepper, rubber, and cashew, which are not suitable or poorly adapted, to growing potential crops that are suitable for local conditions.

Tuy Duc district people intercrop macadamia in coffee gardens

From 2022 to present, Dak Nong has implemented a crop conversion plan. In 2024, Dak Nong converted over 1,615 hectares (exceeding 65% of the plan) of 4 key crops: coffee, pepper, rubber, cashew, which are not adapted, poorly adapted, and ineffective, to growing crops with adaptability potential including macadamia, pepper, cocoa, and fruit trees.

Of which, the unsuitable and poorly adapted coffee area of ​​over 532 hectares was converted to grow macadamia, pepper, cashew, durian, orange, tangerine... The converted area is mainly concentrated in Dak Mil, Dak R'lap, and Dak Glong districts.

People in Cu Jut district apply intercropping and sustainable pepper production techniques to prevent drought.

The province converted about 274 hectares of unsuitable, poorly adapted, and ineffective pepper to coffee, intercropping with durian, avocado, and jackfruit, which is also quite large.

The area of ​​cashew cultivation that is not suitable, poorly adapted, and ineffective has been converted to coffee, macadamia, durian, avocado... over 368 hectares, mainly concentrated in Krong No, Dak R'lap, Dak Glong districts and Gia Nghia city.

The area of ​​rubber trees that are not suitable, poorly adapted, and ineffective has been converted to grow macadamia, coffee, pepper, fruit trees, and some other crops, over 440 hectares. The converted area is mainly concentrated in Tuy Duc, Dak R'lap, Dak Mil, and Krong No districts.

Advanced irrigation systems are being applied to many crop areas in Dak Nong.

Mr. Ngo Xuan Dong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, assessed: Training and coaching on the transfer of scientific and technical applications for crops, focusing on implementation through many forms, has helped people quickly access and boldly change the appropriate crop structure.

Farmers clearly see that drought is becoming more severe, so they have proactively converted unsuitable, low-yielding crops to other crops that bring higher economic efficiency.

According to Mr. Dong, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is coordinating with localities to continue to strengthen training, transfer, and apply advanced technical processes to each production household to apply and replicate sustainable agricultural production models and clean agriculture.

Standing Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen assessed that early and remote conversion of crop structure helps Dak Nong improve drought resistance and minimize risks in agricultural production.

Standing Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen said that every year, the province has a plan to change the crop structure to cope with climate change, including drought.

The province has quantified the conversion of each specific crop, at specific locations based on the agricultural planning in the provincial planning to ensure production efficiency.

Dak Nong prioritizes promoting scientific research, selecting and creating high-quality, high-yielding, good-quality varieties that are adaptable to climate change to serve crop conversion.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Long has been producing passion fruit for many years in Kien Thanh commune, Dak R'lap district (Dak Nong).

The province builds, forms, and develops linkage chains and concentrated raw material areas to enhance product value and brand; promote brands, access domestic consumption markets, and aim for export.

Dak Nong continues to study policies to support crop restructuring to encourage people to implement it in conjunction with the formation of concentrated production areas and high-tech agricultural areas...

Dak Nong plans to convert over 8,557 hectares of key crops including coffee, pepper, rubber, and cashew from 2022 to 2030. In 2025, Dak Nong plans to convert over 1,007 hectares of various crops.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/dak-nong-chuyen-doi-cay-trong-de-phong-han-249219.html