The first fortune telling

After nearly 5 years of piloting macadamia tree plantations in Quynh Nhai District (Son La) in the form of agroforestry models, macadamia nut has gradually established itself as a multi-purpose tree that benefits human health, economy, society and environment, has the potential to become a new crop, which contributes to increasing production and export value on domestic and foreign markets. With the current growth rate and good fruit yield, this tree promises to become the most important multi-purpose crop of the district and province in hunger eradication, poverty alleviation and economic development in the region.

Quynh Nhai District has a diverse topography that creates many diverse and rich climatic sub-regions and creates very favorable conditions for the development of fruit trees, seed trees ranging from temperate to tropical fruit trees, including the macadamia tree.

To implement Son La Provincial Macadamia Nut Development Policy by 2025 and target 2030, the Provincial People’s Committee has licensed Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company to engage in the planting and development of over 161.2 hectares of macadamia nuts to invest in Quynh Nhai District. The project has been planted in Muong Chien Township since 2018, and so far has planted 62.8 hectares with more than 17,000 trees, including 7 varieties: QN1, A38, 800, 246, 849, 816, 842, planting density of 280 trees/ha.

Macadamia trees are grown organically, applying scientific and technical advances in planting and care. In 2021, around 5% of the plants have flowered, and some have already started bearing fruit. Additionally, the new 2020 orchard has branched to Tier II and is developing Tier III branches. The planted area will be further expanded in the following years.

According to Mr. Duong Van Dat, chairman and director of Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company, the macadamia nut is a tree resistant to frost, drought, fewer pests and diseases, and capable of using cover crops and shade tree planting Many species of plants such as tea, coffee, short-term agricultural crops… Therefore, macadamia trees can be developed in many forms, either as pure species or in intercropping. Currently, the company’s macadamia tree model creates regular jobs for 8 local workers.

Mr. Lo Van Giang from Bon Village, Muong Chien Township, Quynh Nhai District, shared: Before, he stayed at home to cultivate cassava, hard work. Because Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company brought macadamia trees for pilot planting in Muong Chien Township, he and some villagers were hired as laborers for the company and received stable working conditions with a high income.

Mr. Tong Van Cau’s family in Phieng Bay Village (Chieng Khay Municipality) was one of the first households to boldly follow the Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company and invest in the cultivation of macadamia trees. After being supported by the company with technical guidance on how to take care of seedlings, his family piloted a 4 hectare macadamia tree plantation. Thanks to active learning and the application of scientific and technical advances, his family’s macadamia tree area continues to grow and develop well to this day. He said that if there is a product, Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company will support the consumption and purchase of all products.

The target is 1,000 ha of boxes across the district

According to Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company representative, the company has been consuming macadamia products for the people of the province for many years. The Company’s products include whole shelled macadamia nuts, macadamia kernels, macadamia wine and macadamia oil.

The product has been certified as a provincial-level typical rural industrial product by the Provincial People’s Committee and is sold in clean food shops, supermarket chain systems in the city of Hanoi and sales agents in the market: Son La City, Mai Son and Moc Chau districts.

Mr. Duong Van Dat, Chairman and Director of Lien Viet Son La Joint Stock Company, said: Macadamia orchards have been planted in Son La province since 2015 and are now yielding similarly stable crops. The province has also formed working groups to review and identify the gardens planted in the past to evaluate productivity, yield stability, performance as well as cost-effectiveness compared to fruit trees. Son La currently has a suitable development orientation for macadamia trees in the coming years .

Quynh Nhai district currently has nearly 150 hectares of macadamia trees, which are mainly planted in Chieng Khay, Chieng On, Chieng Khoang and Muong Sai communes. The macadamia tree grows and develops well. The whole district has 1 ha of macadamia harvested for divination.

According to the provincial as well as district goals and decisions, Quynh Nhai District People’s Committee has actively instructed specialized departments and departments to coordinate with township people’s committees to review the inefficiently used forest areas to implement the development of macadamia nut in 2021 – 2025 with a vision by 2030. Through the initial review in some townships and districts, Quynh Nhai District has started the plan for the development of macadamia nut trees in the second phase in 2021 – period up to 2030 with an inter-regional scale of 200 to 1,000 ha.

Mr. Cam Van Huy, Vice Chairman of Quynh Nhai District People’s Committee, said: “Since 2016, Quynh Nhai has also been consulted by many companies and entities to invest in macadamia plantations, including Lien Viet Joint Stock Company, Son La. With the implementation of the macadamia nut cultivation project, the macadamia tree is now growing well. In the year 2022, the macadamia tree bore divine fruit. It is expected that in 2020-2025, the decision of the district party committee has proposed to plant over 1,000 hectares of macadamia trees. This area has been included in the planning roadmap for Quynh Nhai district to plant and develop macadamia trees in 2021-2026.

According to the roadmap, the development of macadamia nuts in Quynh Nhai District in particular and Son La Province in general will form concentrated raw material areas, organize production and business according to value chains, linked with market demand in the direction of attracting enterprises, enterprises and associations with advantages, to invest in planting, processing and consuming products made from macadamia trees.

For the period from 2021 to 2025, the province’s macadamia area will reach over 5,000 hectares, by 2030 it will reach about 10,000 hectares. By 2025, Son La Province will have 1 macadamia nut processing factory, which size and capacity can meet the province’s macadamia nut processing needs.