At the end of July and early August, some dairy grape farms in Village 9, Luu Kiem Ward, started their harvest season. This area used to be famous for its specialty longan, but now some households have switched to dairy grape farming to improve economic efficiency.
As a pioneer in this area, Mr. Trinh Van Loi (46 years old) shared that before, the Lien Khe region, now known as Luu Kiem Ward, was famous for its specialty longan. However, due to unpredictable yields, large area requirements, and low economic efficiency, he traveled to various provinces to explore alternative farming models.
After his research, Mr. Loi decided to switch from growing specialty longan to dairy grapes. With a 1,500-square-meter garden, he planted about 150 imported dairy grape vines. He also invested in a net house, irrigation, and drainage systems. Despite requiring a much higher investment than longan farming, dairy grapes have an earlier harvest.
According to Mr. Loi, the soil and weather conditions in Luu Kiem Ward are very suitable for growing dairy grapes. Due to the slightly different seasonal weather, when purchasing the vines, he also received a transfer of foreign-standard planting, care, netting, trellis, irrigation, and fertilizer techniques. As a result, after two years, his dairy grape farm began to bear fruit.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen (45 years old, Mr. Loi’s wife) is delighted that after two years of model switching, her family has harvested the first seedless dairy grape clusters. Although the yield is not high, they expect to harvest over one ton this first season, selling at 350,000 VND/kg directly from the garden. Mrs. Huyen is thrilled that many local people have come to their garden to experience the harvest and enjoy the grapes. On weekends, when there are many visitors, the grapes are not ripe enough for everyone to pick.
Ms. Thu Huong (in the old Thuy Nguyen District, wearing a gray shirt) shared that on weekends, she and her husband bring their children to the dairy grape farm to play, take photos, and check in. At the farm, her family and many others, especially the children, enjoy picking and tasting the clean grapes directly from the vines.
The grape garden is designed with a net house covering the vines, which grow along a high trellis system, keeping the farm cool even on sunny days. Gardeners and visitors can comfortably walk through the garden, take photos, and check in…
According to visitors, the grapes harvested at the farm are medium-sized but juicy, sweet, and refreshing, which is quite different from the large, watery grapes often sold in markets.
Mr. Trinh Van Loi also shared that growing grapes requires a much higher investment than longan, as well as more sophisticated techniques and meticulous care. He plans to work with other grape growers to propose that authorities assess the quality of their produce to establish a brand and expand the growing area.
