How did this farmer from Son La pocket more than half a billion by growing big durian trees and fattening cows?

Mr. Phung Quang Mai, Co Noi commune, Mai Son district, Son La province has succeeded with the model of growing durian custard apple and raising fattened cows. From a poor family, with determination to rise up, Mr. Mai's family has become the most well-off family in the area.

Clip: The model of growing durian custard apples and raising fattened cows of Mr. Phung Quang Mai, a farmer in Co Noi commune, Mai Son district, Son La province, brings in an income of half a billion VND per year.

Farmers graft custard apple with durian custard apple for high income

The roads to the villages of Co Noi commune have now been widened and paved with smooth concrete, no longer dirt roads or dusty trails like before.

Co Noi is the land of Thai, Kinh, Mong ethnic groups, etc. If a few decades ago, when mentioning Co Noi, people would immediately think of the land of corn and cassava, the lives of ethnic people still faced many difficulties, earning their daily meals.

Now, this land has changed. People compete to develop the economy, with diverse livestock models, fruit tree growing models. From the above methods, this land has appeared many millionaires, billionaires.

Introduced by the farmers' association, we went to Melech village to meet Mr. Phung Quang Mai, a man who dares to think, dares to do, and changes the mindset in economic development in this land. His family's fruit garden model, combined with fattening cows, brings in half a billion VND each year.

Mr. Phung Quang Mai, Co Noi commune, Mai Son district, Son La province, covers his family's custard apples to protect them from pests. Photo: Van Ngoc

Mr. Mai’s house is located at the end of the village. The Thai-roofed house is solidly built, nestled in a custard apple garden, with green leaves, each tree bearing many fruits. The day we visited his house, Mr. Mai was in the garden, wrapping each custard apple in a specialized fruit bag to prevent pests and diseases that could affect the appearance and quality of the fruit.

Mr. Mai is a Kinh ethnic with dark brown skin, small stature, agile and graceful limbs. Wearing work clothes, with a warm voice, he stepped out from the custard apple garden, held our hands with his calloused hands and invited us to visit the garden.

Mr. Mai's custard apple garden is planted in a backyard of about half a hectare. The trees and rows are arranged methodically, in rows and along paths.

Under each custard apple tree is a bag of compost and a drip irrigation pipe. The branches and leaves on the tree trunk are trimmed neatly according to the gardener's intention; custard apples that have the ability to grow well and have a beautiful appearance will be carefully placed in fruit bags to prevent pests and diseases.

"I plant it like this to make it easier to take care of, move around the garden more conveniently, and the garden is also tidier," said Mr. Mai.

Mr. Phung Quang Lam's family's custard apple garden has 350 trees. Photo: Van Ngoc

Sitting under the shade of the custard apple orchard, Mr. Mai shared openly: In the past, his family had many difficulties in economic development, and was one of the poorest households in the area. His family's entire custard apple orchard was made of long-fruit custard apples. After several years of cultivation, the long-fruit trees grew slowly, were often affected by pests and diseases, and had poor productivity and fruit quality. Along with unstable prices, his family decided to prune and graft the entire area of ​​long-fruit custard apples to durian custard apples.

According to Mr. Mai, for durian custard apple trees, if too much chemical fertilizer is applied, it will affect the tree and the yield will not be high, so he has taken advantage of waste from livestock farming, composted it into compost to fertilize the trees.

Currently, Mr. Mai's family grows 350 custard apple trees, taking care of them according to the correct process and strictly implementing the fertilization steps.

Thanks to that, his family's custard apple products are purchased directly from the garden by traders. Partly, his family has contracts with a number of supermarkets and clean agricultural product stores in big cities such as Hanoi and Hai Phong. After deducting expenses, the family earns more than 300 million VND from the custard apple garden.

From growing durian, Mr. Phung Quang Mai's family earns nearly 300 million VND each year. Photo: Van Ngoc

Highland farmers succeed with fattening cattle model

Not only is Mr. Mai's family a typical fruit tree growing household in the locality, he is also a good livestock farmer in the region with a fattening cow farming model.

Every year, Mr. Mai’s family raises and sells about 60 fattened commercial cows. His family earns more than 300 million VND. He uses the waste from the livestock as compost to fertilize his garden.

Sharing the secret of raising fattened cows for high economic efficiency, Mr. Mai said: To raise cows effectively and quickly make a profit, his family buys skinny, framed cows. Those framed cows are dewormed and vaccinated against diseases.

Providing adequate food for cows, taking good care of them, and preventing diseases will help them grow quickly and healthily, shortening the time it takes to sell them. To increase the amount of food and proactively, he bought sugarcane tops and straw from other households to ferment and store as food for the cows to eat gradually.

Mr. Phung Quang Mai raises cows using a fattening method. Photo: Van Ngoc

In addition, to help the cows grow healthy and fast, it is also important to ensure that the barn is well ventilated in the summer and warm in the winter. Regularly clean the barn to prevent disease.

Feed the cattle 3 times, morning, noon and evening, fresh grass combined with concentrated feed such as bran, corn flour... especially fully vaccinate the cattle and buffalo.

Commenting on farmer member Phung Quang Mai, Mr. Lo Van Tien, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Co Noi Commune, Mai Son District, Son La, said: Thanks to his diligence, eagerness to learn, and innovative thinking, Mr. Phung Quang Mai has succeeded with his family's economic model. The model of raising fattened cows and using waste from livestock farming as fertilizer for plants of Mr. Mai's family is being learned and replicated by people in the village.

Every year, Mr. Phung Quang Mai's family sells 55-70 fattened cows. Photo: Van Ngoc

According to the Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Co Noi Commune, the Association always identifies the movement "Farmers compete in good production and business" as one of the key tasks. The Association has actively implemented practical activities for each farmer member through consulting, supporting loans, purchasing materials on deferred payment...
At the same time, mobilize members to change the structure of crops and livestock, apply scientific and technical advances in production, help farmers consume products...

Especially in recent years, farmer members have proactively produced, formed areas for growing sugarcane, green vegetables, strawberries, developed fruit trees on sloping land, such as custard apple, mango, longan, grapefruit, models of raising buffalo, cows, pigs, chickens, goats...

It can be seen that the movement of farmers competing in production and good business, the Farmers' Association of Co Noi commune not only arouses the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, overcoming difficulties to become rich of each farmer member but also actively contributes to the economic and social development, building new rural areas in the locality.

Source: https://danviet.vn/trong-cay-na-sau-rieng-qua-to-bu-nuoi-bo-vo-beo-kieu-gi-ma-ong-nong-dan-son-la-bo-tui-hon-nua-ty-20241104154819998.htm