Building a Professional Production Community
The Da Ton value chain in Da Huoai Commune is restructuring its operations, gathering hundreds of local farming households into a professional durian production network to share experience, transfer technical expertise, expand markets, and enhance product value.
Pooling Experience and New Technologies
At the end of the 2026 harvest season, farmer Ngo Huu Hien in Da Huoai Commune was honored by the value-chain community as a "Yield Champion" after harvesting 150 metric tons of durians across more than 8 hectares.
With a planting density of 170 trees per hectare, Hien’s orchard features trees aged 15, 12, and 7 years, yielding an average of around 200 kilograms per tree. Beyond drawing on local orchard management experience, Hien regularly adopts new techniques and invests in modern technological equipment.
Hien focuses on four key elements for sustainable durian cultivation: high-quality saplings, irrigation, fertilization, and technique. Specifically, he selects certified grafted saplings with clear origins. He has also installed an irrigation system that pumps water from rivers and streams through filtration basins into an automated irrigation and fertigation system. During each season, integrated pest management measures are implemented to protect crops and the surrounding ecosystem.
Over the past two years, across a total of 14 hectares managed by his family and his son’s household, Hien invested nearly 1.5 billion VND ($60,000 USD) to acquire two agricultural drones. The drones spray crop-protection treatments over high canopies, boosting pest control efficiency. After refining his digital farming process, Hien joined the Da Ton durian production and consumption chain in Da Huoai Commune to transfer these techniques to the wider community.
"By joining the value chain, members can replicate proven practices and integrate digital technology into professional farming to produce high-quality, uniform crops," Hien said. "Meanwhile, market outlets are secured and managed by the cooperative."
In the recent harvest, Dang Quynh Nhu Trung’s 1-hectare durian orchard was designated a model farm by the Da Ton value chain, achieving a yield increase of over 4 metric tons per hectare compared to the previous period. All harvested output was consumed through the value chain at prices roughly 5% above market rates.
Following these results, Trung shared several practical techniques with chain members, including removing poor-quality young fruit, tailoring nutrient supply to tree age, spraying crop-protection agents at correct dosages during seasonal transitions, and inspecting orchards at least once every three days for early detection of abnormal symptoms.
Another member, Mai Ngoc Tho, stopped selling his durian outside the chain more than two years ago and began marketing all of his produce through the Da Ton value chain at stable prices, allowing him to estimate profits in advance and plan investments in future crops. From his 1.4 hectares of durians, Tho estimated a net profit of around 1 billion VND ($40,000 USD). He is currently tending over 1 hectare of 2-to-3-year-old trees using improved cultivation techniques learned from the community.
Expanding Linked Production Areas
Dinh Thi Thuy, who leads the Da Ton specialized durian value chain in Da Huoai Commune, noted that during the 2026 harvest, the chain expanded partnerships with domestic and international enterprises to purchase all fresh durian produced by member households under stable, safe, and transparent agreements. On this foundation, a collaborative model has been established where the State provides policy guidance and legal frameworks, farmers invest in professional production, and enterprises guarantee market outlets and help strengthen the brand.
To date, the Da Ton value chain has brought together nearly 230 farming households managing 600 hectares of durians, including 400 hectares currently in commercial production with a total output exceeding 10,000 metric tons. To meet increasingly strict export requirements, the chain considers growing zone code management, product traceability, and strict adherence to technical standards mandatory conditions for its professional production community in the upcoming period.
Hoang Thanh Nam, Vice Chairman of the Da Huoai Commune People's Council, stated that the Da Ton value chain has attracted numerous experienced farmers utilizing modern techniques to produce export-grade durians. The commune continues to create favorable conditions for businesses, cooperatives, and farmers to expand the chain sustainably, further driving up the value of the region's key crop.