According to statistics, in Gia Lai province, there are currently 14/17 places in the province that have planted coca trees, totaling 2,200 hectares. Kbang district is the place with the largest macadamia plantation area, covering almost 2,000 hectares, mainly in So Pai, Son Lang, Dak Rong and Krong communes.

Confirm new position

In early July, we arrived in the So Pai community just in time to prepare for the macadamia harvest. Along the paths leading into the Volksgarten, the macadamia trees are green and lush. Introduced by a community official, we visited Mr. Lai Huy Hung’s family (Village 4, So Pai Township), where there is a 3-hectare macadamia garden, of which 2 hectares are currently being harvested.

Mr. Hung said that it takes five years from planting to harvest for macadamia trees, but the yield is very stable and next year is higher than last year. Macadamia trees in particular have a life cycle of more than 50 years, so they should be planted once for a lifetime income.

Hung said about six to seven years ago, people mainly grew coffee here, but the harvest was also precarious. Whereas the macadamia tree had very few growers at the time because it was so new. After much deliberation, his family decided to take an all-or-nothing risk.

Looking at the fruit-laden macadamia garden, Mr. Hung smiled contentedly, “The macadamia garden has now entered the second year of harvest, minus expenses, a 1-ha family earns about VND130-150 million on average.”

According to Mr. Hung, macadamia nuts are relatively easy to grow and show that they do very well in cool climates like Kbang district. You just have to consider that the tree will grow well when the macadamia plant blooms towards the end of the year when this time there is no rain and the cold climate is around 20-22 degrees Celsius. If the sun is too hot or it rains, the macadamia flowers will not bear fruit and will rot. Caring for it is relatively easy: you only need to fertilize 2-3 times a year and water regularly.

When we returned to the Son Lang community, Vice Chairman Dinh Van Hdán took us to visit the macadamia orchards. He said that the macadamia tree has great economic value in recent years, so people in the area have been lobbying to expand the area. Currently, the community has more than 500 hectares, mainly macadamia trees and coffee trees. Many households not only started planting, but also started processing to increase the value of the macadamia trees.

Being present with Mr. Thieu Viet Doan’s family (Thong Nhat Village, Son Lang Municipality) and watching as busy hands are put into the machine to split each macadamia nut, canning them in time for delivery to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang… to feel the value of the macadamia tree.

Mr. Doan said the order was too much while the family’s production is limited and therefore it is not enough for customers. His family currently grows 2.5 hectares of macadamia nuts, of which 1.5 hectares have been harvested with an average yield of 3.5 to 4 tons.

“The investment cost of macadamia trees is relatively cheap, averaging only VND 30-40 million per year and decreasing year by year, while the market price of fresh products is very stable between VND 80,000-90,000/kg, while the price of processed products is up to VND 180,000/kg. Compared to coffee trees, macadamia has a much higher economic value, comparable even to durian trees, with less effort,” said Mr. Doan.

There are currently two macadamia varieties in Kbang district, one flowering at the end of the year and the other at the beginning of the year. At this time, the climate in Kbang district is relatively cold, but it does not rain, so the macadamia flowers grow well, bloom beautifully and bear fruit more easily than other regions. When it rains, the flowers rot and no fruit emerges, which is considered a failure of the harvest.

On the way to the Macadamia Kbang Gia Lai brand

In Kbang district, coffee is still the main crop, macadamia is mainly grown as a catch crop, both as a windbreak and to increase people’s income. However, in recent years, macadamia trees have increasingly acquired high economic value and have become the main crop in the area.

Mr. Vo Thanh, chairman of the People’s Committee of So Pai Municipality, said that in the past, coffee was considered the staple food. Macadamia was only intermittently harvested by people to grow shade trees and generate additional income. But in recent years, the macadamia acreage has gradually increased, and the area is expanding. Currently, the municipality has more than 590 hectares of land, not to mention the area of ​​macadamia trees rented by forestry companies for the planting of forests.

“The economic value of the macadamia tree is currently much higher than that of the main crop, coffee. For households that grow pure macadamia trees, the productivity is very high. The average income per year is more than 300 million VND/ha. As for the households growing coffee, the income from macadamia trees is also about VND 200 million/ha,” Mr. Thanh shared.

According to Mr. Thanh, Kbang district in general and So Pai township in particular have a cool climate, fertile soil and no gravel, which is very suitable for the development of macadamia trees. Therefore, since the trial planting more than 10 years ago, macadamia has grown very well, with obvious effects.

Mr Ma Van Tinh, head of the Kbang District Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the macadamia tree has been tested for effectiveness since 2010 and has therefore been replicated in the region. The macadamia tree is very suitable, grows and develops well, bears false fruit over the years and stable yield in kbang country. From where people mainly grew coffee, the area under macadamia has now been expanded, both in the form of intercropping and pure planting. While the district was only about 100 hectares in 2015, there are now more than 2,000 hectares of macadamia trees.

“The most important thing in the growth and development process is when it blooms. A cool and not too hot temperature is required for the differentiation of the flowering shoots because the macadamia tree provides a high rate of fruiting. Considering these weather and climate conditions, Kbang district offers more advantages than other places. In addition, Kbang district has fertile red basalt soil, which is very suitable for growing macadamia and other crops,” said Mr. Tinh.

Looking ahead to 2030, Kbang district will plant 3,000 ha of macadamia trees. To achieve this, since 2018 the district has implemented measures to support poor households and ethnic minorities in interim harvesting of macadamia trees to increase their income. In addition, the district is coordinating with the Gia Lai Science and Technology Department to register a trademark for the Kbang Gia Lai brand of macadamia.

Mr. Doan Ngoc Co, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Gia Lai Province, said that according to field tests, macadamia trees are relatively well suited to the climate and soil conditions in the provinces. Especially in Kbang district, the climate is cool and the soil is suitable for the growth of macadamia trees.

“The cultivation area of ​​macadamia trees has confirmed its economic efficiency, particularly the importance of social security in creating many jobs for ethnic minorities in remote areas.” The success of macadamia trees also confirms that it is a multipurpose tree, a forest tree of great ecological importance, helping to increase the forest cover rate and protect the ecological environment,” said Doan Ngoc Co.

Mr. Doan Ngoc Co said that according to the plan, macadamia trees will be mainly cultivated in towns and cities in Kbang district. At the same time, expansion and development continues in areas with suitable climate and soil conditions in Dak Doa, Mang Yang and Chu Pah districts. Accordingly, it is aimed that the total area of ​​macadamia plantation in the province will reach over 4,000 hectares by 2030.