In the early days of July, people in the highlands of Pung Banh commune are busy harvesting honey pineapple. This is the only locality in the province currently growing this specialty pineapple variety, concentrated in three villages: Pu Sut, Ten Lan and Pha Thong.
Fragrant, sweet, and juicy pineapples are not only favored by the market but have also become crops that bring additional income to many households.
The whole commune currently has more than 15 hectares of honey pineapple, with an average yield of about 4 tons of fruit/ha. The harvest season starts from the end of June and lasts until the end of August.
At this time, traders inside and outside the locality come to buy, creating a bustling atmosphere on pineapple fields.
Unlike many common pineapple varieties, honey pineapple has non-thorn leaf edges, which are favorable for care and harvesting. When ripe, the fruit has a golden flesh, shallow eyes, a mild aroma, a rich sweet taste, crisp and juicy.
In particular, the flesh of the fruit appears with transparent veins like honey, creating a distinctive flavor and not causing burns on the tongue when eating. Each fruit weighs an average of 1-3 kg.
Mr. Vi Van Dinh - Vice Chairman of Pung Banh Commune People's Committee - said that previously, people only planted a few dozen pineapple trees around their houses to serve family needs. Since 2015, realizing that the plant variety is suitable for climate and soil conditions and has economic efficiency, many households in the three villages of Pu Sut, Ten Lan and Pha Thong have expanded the planting area to develop goods.
According to Mr. Giang A Po - Secretary of the Party Cell, Head of Pu Sut village, the honey pineapple variety was brought by people from Laos after visiting relatives, and then propagated with underlying buds and pineapple tops. After many years of cultivation, this pineapple variety has adapted well to local conditions, grows healthily and gives delicious fruit quality.
Pineapple is grown at the end of October every year. After about a year of care, the tree begins to be harvested and can be rooted for 2-3 years before having to replant. People mainly use composted manure and organic fertilizer, so the fruit quality is highly appreciated by consumers.
Pu Sut is currently the village with the largest honey pineapple area in the commune with about 100 households growing. Each household cultivates from 300-5,000 m2, of which 3-4 households grow nearly 1 hectare.
Mr. Song Ba Tho (in Pu Sut village) said that his family has been growing honey pineapple since 2015. Each crop harvests about 3.5-4 tons of fruit, sold at a price of 10,000-15,000 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, the family earns a profit of more than 30 million VND.
And Mr. Giang Chu Ninh (in Ten Lan village) shared that with 1 hectare of honey pineapple, this crop his family estimates to harvest nearly 4 tons of fruit, with a revenue of more than 40 million VND. Pineapple ripens seasonally, so it is convenient for harvesting and consumption, his family wraps the fruit in foam mesh, packs it in cardboard boxes or foam boxes to limit crushing during transportation.
Currently, Pung Banh honey pineapple is mainly consumed through traders inside and outside the commune. The economic efficiency of pineapple is encouraging people in highland villages to continue to expand the area, take care of it in an organic direction, and improve product quality.
