Dong Nai is the capital of exported bananas

​Dong Nai has the largest growing area for export banana in the country. These are the main crops of the province with the area increasing rapidly in recent years because of its high profit.

Harvest and pack bananas for export at Thanh Binh commune, Trang Bom district

Plantains tree is also one of the top fruit crops in the province for export when Dong Nai exported over 400,000 tons of bananas in 2022. The province is replicating large-scale concentrated farming areas, applying new techniques and technologies to production to meet the increasing requirements of the export market.

Top in terms of profit

Currently, Dong Nai is leading the country in terms of bananas growing area, accounting for 8.5% of the national area and 71% of the Southeast region. Bananas in Dong Nai are harvested all year round, focusing on the main crop from September to May next year. The total output is estimated at about 350,000 tons, of which the rate of fresh fruits is 15% for domestic consumption, 5% for processing, and 80-85% for export.

Tissue-transplanted plantains trees are currently among the top profitable crops. According to farmers growing tissue-transplanted plantains trees for export, the price of tissue-transplanted plantains for export has often been sold at a high level in recent years, so farmers growing tissue-transplanted plantains often get good profits. This is also the reason why the area for this crop has increased rapidly in recent years. According to a report by the Sub-Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Irrigation (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), in the past 5 years, the banana growing area has nearly doubled in the province, from more than 7.3 thousand hectares in 2016 increased to more than 13.1 thousand hectares by 2021.

The area of tissue-transplanted plantains for export has increased rapidly due to many advantages such as: giving higher profits than many other crops; being annual plants, so farmers can easily adjust the harvest seasons; it can be easily changed to another production model in case this type of tree is not suitable or the price is too low, … The province has many areas specializing in plantains cultivation with a long tradition of growing, farmers experienced in planting and taking care of. In particular, some localities of the province such as Trang Bom and Thong Nhat districts with large plantains areas of hilly land, rocky soil but it is very suitable for plantains trees to grow and develop. Plantains farmers also boldly invest in buying seedlings, install economical irrigation systems as well as invest in mechanization in production … Up to now, 95% of plantains area in the province has been installed with economical irrigation systems; 100% of the export plantains area is covered.

Specialized area in tissue-transplanted plantains trees at Thanh Binh commune, Trang Bom district

​Crops with export advantages

Plantains tree is also one of the top fruit crops in the province for export when Dong Nai exported over 400,000 tons of bananas in 2022. Most of the plantains area in the province is provided for the export market, so plantains farmers invest methodically, improve farming processes, and apply technical advances in production to achieve high yields both in terms of form and quality according to export standards.

​Ms. Tran Thi Tu Oanh, Deputy Head of the Sub-Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Irrigation (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that: there are currently 35 provinces in the country with 286 area codes for plantains growing for export to the Chinese market. In which, Dong Nai is the leading province in the country in the number of planting area codes approved by the Department of Plant Protection and Chinese General Department of Customs. The whole province currently has 30 planting areas of 5,669 hectares being granted codes; accounting for 43% of plantains growing area in the province. The province also has 39 plantains packing establishments being granted codes.

According to Mr. Tran Lam Sinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dong Nai will continue to build a concentrated plantains production area in the coming time, develop sustainably in the direction of not increasing the area but investing in improving product quality, have a brand name, increase value by solutions such as: develop production areas associated with infrastructure planning to reduce logistics costs; deeper invest in varieties with high yield, good quality, disease resistance, transfer of specialty plantains varieties suitable to the expansion of export markets; improve the quality of fresh plantains through promoting the synchronous application of advanced production processes and expanding mechanization; standardize and upgrade plantains processing, packing and preservation zones; ensure the maintenance of food safety and hygiene from the operation of the quality management system and traceability, apply well the agricultural practice (GAP) and phytosanitary work. In addition, the province will promote the processing industry, diversify deeply processed products and add value from plantains by-products; organize production in chains and promote linkages associated with efforts to perfect the image of Dong Nai plantains in the international market.

Plantains tree is one of the few plants developed into concentrated production areas of 400-500 hectares in the province. Many localities of the province are also expanding the areas specialized in plantains cultivation for export according to the linking chain from production to consumption. Many localities in the province have attracted many businesses to invest in warehousing and packing for export, increasing the competitive advantage for this kind of tree.