Sharing with Lao Động newspaper, Mr. Nhân shared that many years ago, while visiting his father-in-law’s orchard in Mỹ Phước commune (Kế Sách district), he accidentally came across a milkfruit tree that was special compared to the rest.
At that time, it was off-season, but the tree still bore fruit. The fruit had thin skin, less latex, more water, and a sweet taste. Realizing that this was a valuable variety, he asked his father-in-law for permission to graft the branches and take them home for propagation.
Mr. Nhân added that he, too, is a farmer with no formal training in agricultural techniques. In early 2012, he started with 100 milkfruit trees given by his father-in-law. However, due to financial difficulties at that time, fertilizer application and spraying were limited.
Fortunately, this mutant variety of milkfruit only took 14 months to start flowering and fruiting. From flowering to harvest takes about four months, requiring less care and bearing fruit all year round, unlike the common milkfruit variety that bears fruit once a year.
The mutant purple milkfruit (four-season purple milkfruit) is seedless, with detachable seeds, soft pulp, and a mild sweet taste. Photo: Lao Động newspaper
What’s even more special is that the soil in Nhơn Mỹ is often saline-intruded, limiting the choice of crops. But this variety of milkfruit can tolerate high salinity. “I remember in 2016, the entire commune was affected by saline intrusion, with salinity levels reaching 3 per thousand, but my milkfruit garden only suffered leaf drop and then continued to bear fruit normally,” Mr. Nhân recalled.
The mutant purple milkfruit can yield 400-500 kg/tree/year. Photo: Huỳnh Xây/Dân Việt newspaper
In terms of yield, the mutant purple milkfruit is easy to grow and can produce 400-500 kg/tree/year (with each fruit weighing between 250-600 grams). This variety has helped Mr. Nhân easily earn 3.5 billion VND/3.5 ha/year (prices fluctuate at high levels, especially when other milkfruit varieties are not in season).
Recognizing the potential of the mutant purple milkfruit, many farmers in Nhơn Mỹ commune, Kế Sách district, Sóc Trăng province, have come to Mr. Nhân to buy seedlings. So far, there are 11.3 ha of mutant purple milkfruit with a planting code, and over 30 ha without a planting code.
Mr. Trần Anh Nhân shared that the mutant purple milkfruit (four-season purple milkfruit) bears fruit all year round. Photo: Huỳnh Xây/Dân Việt newspaper
“Currently, there are 9 households growing mutant purple milkfruit in the region with a planting code and about 44 households without a planting code (mostly new gardens, not yet stable fruiting). In the region with the planting code, after deducting production costs of about 7,500 VND/kg, farmers earn a minimum profit of 600 million VND and a maximum profit of over 1 billion VND/ha/year,” Mr. Nhân informed Dân Việt newspaper.
As the mutant purple milkfruit flowers and fruits all year round, Mr. Nhân named this variety the four-season purple milkfruit. He then registered for the recognition of the parent tree.
To facilitate supporting local farmers in developing the production of mutant purple milkfruit, in 2020, Mr. Nhân established the Mỹ Phước Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative.
Most of the members who have a demand will be provided by the cooperative (currently with 21 members) with seedlings, organic fertilizers, biological pesticides, fruit bags, and fruit purchasing during the harvest season.
With its outstanding characteristics and attractive appearance, the mutant purple milkfruit produced by Mr. Nhân is highly favored in the market.
In addition to linking with enterprises to export to the US market, the four-season purple milkfruit of the Mỹ Phước Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative is also consumed in the domestic market. The four-season purple milkfruit product has also been recognized with a 4-star OCOP certificate and has an electronic stamp for traceability.
Currently, the area of four-season purple milkfruit in Kế Sách district is continuously expanding, resulting in an average growth rate of over 10%/year in the revenue of the Mỹ Phước Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative.
In addition to the above-mentioned milkfruit variety, the Mỹ Phước Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative also decided to cultivate and trade some other types of fruit trees with quite high economic potential. Specifically, they chose super crispy pink guava, Sóc Trăng pink apricot, and Sóc Trăng green apricot.
In addition, Mr. Nhân’s cooperative also manages a Thanh Nhãn (a type of lychee) growing area (20.4 ha). The entire area has a planting code for export to Australia and the US.
“The Mỹ Phước Community Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative prioritizes the cultivation and trading of four-season purple milkfruit. However, we also need to grow other delicious fruit varieties to meet the diverse demands of customers and develop community-based tourism. Moreover, all the above-mentioned fruit trees are easy to grow and not soil-demanding,” Mr. Nhân added.
With these achievements, Mr. Nhân was honored by the Vietnam Farmers’ Union as an Excellent Vietnamese Farmer in 2024.
Amidst the dry season, Tiền Giang orchard flourishes with a bountiful harvest of jackfruit.
Despite the peak of drought and the deep intrusion of saltwater, many farmers in Tien Giang province still have a high income from the model of growing jackfruit. This is one of the top 3 fruit-bearing trees with the highest economic efficiency in Tien Giang province.
