Tong Thi Bich Huong in Hung Nhan village in Chieng Pha commune switched to cultivating organic red-flesh dragon fruit on her struggling coffee plantation in 2019. A year later, her family were rushed off their feet with a bountiful harvest.

The organic fruit even qualified for export to Russia.

Meanwhile, other residents, like Lo Van Thong, have introduced sensible farming techniques to plant off-season fruit. Thong’s dragon fruit trees bear fruit one to two months earlier than the regular season.

In a bid to capitalise on agricultural production in the building of new-style rural areas, Thuan Chau district has encouraged local residents to develop value chains for their products.

The district has created 21 supꦰply chains and six planting area codes for mango, longan, and dragon fruit orchards, and has 200 hectares of organic plantations.Two communes in Thuan Chau district have been recognised as new-style rural areas, with rates of poor and near-poor households standing at 30% and 🔴16%, respectively. It is working to ensure that all residents escape from poverty by 2025./.