Nguyen Thi Ha’s family in Sub-zone 10 grows 7 hectares of Canh oranges and green-skin pomelos, all using a drip irrigation system that helps save costs and improve productivity.

She shared: “Our orchard is equipped with a drip irrigation system, and we apply fertilizers and pesticides following the ‘4 rights’ principle. We also prune and shape the trees correctly according to technical standards. Thanks to favourable weather this year, our family expects to harvest over 13 tonnes of fruit, earning an estimated income of more than 1 billion VND (38,000 USD).”

Meanwhile, at Sub-zone 3/2 Cooperative, 60 hectares of custard apples and longans are cultivated, with 82% of the area equipped with drip irrigation. In the 2024 season, the cooperative harvested nearly 900 tonnes of fruit, generating revenue of over 22 billion VND.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong, Director of the cooperative, said: “With 30 members, after deducting expenses, the average income from fruit trees is over 300 million VND per year. Currently, we are focusing on caring for fruit-bearing custard apples and longans, including pruning and fertilizing, while also devising plans for forming linkages in product sale. This year, with a good harvest, we aim to increase revenue by 15-20% compared to last year.”

To date, Mai Son commune has nearly 5,000 hectares of fruit trees, of which 694.5 hectares in two custard apple and mango production zones apply high technology. In recent years, the commune has restructured land use, encouraged high-tech application, and established specialised cooperatives (mango, longan, custard apple, dragon fruit, strawberries, etc.). 

The locality is gradually forming a sustainable production-processing-consumption chain, building models of safe and organic agriculture associated with eco-tourism and agri-experiences. The commune currently has 48 cooperatives effectively operating in cultivation, input supply, and sale of agricultural products. 

Locals maintain many high-yield, high-quality fruit varieties such as Thai custard apple, soursop custard apple, grafted longan, Taiwanese mango, Australian mango, green-skin pomelo, Dien pomelo, star apple, and red-flesh dragon fruit.

Applying scientific and technological advancements has helped improve productivity and product quality. The commune’s annual fruit output is nearly 80,000 tonnes. Some cooperatives generate revenue of 7-20 billion VND per year, with the value of high-tech agricultural production reaching 250-300 million VND per ha per year. Notable examples include Xuan Que Strawberry Cooperative, Anh Trang Cooperative, Me Lech Cooperative, Thanh Son Cooperative, and Sub-zone 3/2 Cooperative.

In recent years, a highlight of high-tech agriculture in Mai Son commune is the custard apple pollination technique, which improves quality and yields 13-17 tonnes per ha, with an income of 400-450 million VND per ha. Thai custard apple alone brings in 800 million VND to 1 billion VND per ha. Additionally, farmers are adopting early and off-season strawberry cultivation techniques, selling for 200,000-250,000 VND per kg, offering significantly higher returns than traditional farming. 

The commune now has over 400 hectares of strawberries, about 40% of which are cultivated off-season in hamlets such as Tan Thao, Huoi Duong, Nong Quynh, Quynh Tien, and Binh Minh and Thong Nhat sub-zones.
Nguyen Anh Thu, Vice Chairman of the communal People's Committee, stated that by 2030, the commune aims to reach a total crop output of 102,000 tonnes; continue planning concentrated agricultural zones applying high technology; and develop organic agriculture linked with digital transformation. 

“We will focus on researching and converting to high-value crop and livestock varieties, leveraging land advantages to develop key products, forming large-scale commodity production areas, and promoting mechanisation and automation to ensure food safety and meet consumption and export standards,” he said.

In addition, the commune is coordinating in developing raw material areas to serve local and neighboring processing factories, such as Phuc Sinh Son La JSC, Son La Coffee Processing JSC, Dong Giao Export Food JSC, BHL Son La Agricultural Products Processing JSC, and Son La Sugar JSC. It is forming a production-processing-consumption linkage chain, gradually building a supply chain and logistics system for agricultural products.

The application of high technology in fruit cultivation in Mai Son commune has created a breakthrough, shifting from traditional production to safe, organic, and VietGAP-certified models. It has established economically valuable specialised zones, supplying products that meet demand and can compete in the market, thus promoting local socio-economic development.