A Lang Hoi, a Co Tu resident of Ma Cooih commune, has escaped poverty thanks to growing Siamese banana. (Photo: VOV)

Siamese bananas (called chuoi moc or chuoi su) is a popular plant in Vietnam. It can be grown all year round, in dry or rainy weather. In Quang Nam province, thousands of Co Tu ethnic families, primarily in the mountain districts of Dong Giang, Nam Giang, and Tay Giang, grow Siamese bananas.

Their cultivation areas used to be small, but now they have switched to a newer model following advice and instructions from local authorities, according to Do Huu Tung, Deputy Chairman of the Dong Giang district People's Committee.

“In Dong Giang district, the banana growing model is most developed in JoNgay, Song Con, and Ma Cooih commune, and communes 3 and 4. We have several programs, such as the garden and farm economy development program, which encourage villagers to create plans to improve their products and increase their position in the market,” said Tung.

He added Dong Giang bananas are sold in supermarkets and markets in Quang Nam and Da Nang city.

In addition, bananas are a local signature product, so many tourists buy them. The local administration will continue to improve the value chain of the model, said Tung. The provincial Farmers' Association has helped farmers with loans, provided seedlings, and connected farmers with businesses to promote their products.

According to Nguyen Ut, the Association’s Deputy Chairman,  people in mountain districts are encouraged to use loans to develop models that bring higher profits and better living conditions by creating OCOP products.

Ut told VOV, “We’ve shown them new farming techniques which have proved effective and created habits of safe production. We have organized trade promotion activities and trade fairs to introduce their agricultural products to other localities and access markets outside the province.”

This year bananas are selling for a good price, so their income has increased. In Dong Giang district, productivity has reached 25-30 tons per hectare, earning 2,200-2,470 USD per hectare.

A Lang Hoi’s Siamese banana farm  (Photo: VOV)

A Lang Hoi, a Co Tu resident of Ma Cooih commune, Dong Giang district, has 3 hectares of Siamese and aromatic bananas, with 4,000 trees. Hoi's banana farm is on a hillside. One bunch of bananas sells for as much as 6 USD. On the first day and the full moon day of every lunar month, and on holidays, banana prices increase to 10-22 USD per bunch.

Hoi says that, thanks to growing bananas, his family has escaped poverty and earned enough money to build a new house. He recalled, “Growing bananas is profitable and gives us a stable life. In the past, I collected bananas to resell. When I discovered how profitable they were, I invested in growing the bananas and now earn an average of 410 USD a month. I hope the local government will pave the roads to make it easy to transport the bananas.”

Siamese banana growing is a profitable economic model for the mountain districts of Quang Nam province. It has helped people improve their own lives and the local economy.