Growing coffee intercropping, a new model of getting rich in Kon Tum
Kon Tum - Macadamia trees are gradually becoming a potential choice for farmers thanks to their clear economic efficiency and ability to adapt well to natural conditions.
According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dak To district (Kon Tum), the whole district currently has more than 1,200 hectares of macadamia trees, of which more than half of the area is intercropped with coffee.
While coffee is a familiar crop that has long been associated with the people, macadamia nuts have only been used for cultivation since 2014. However, after only a few years, this combination has proven its economic efficiency and sustainability.
In Tan Canh commune, where coffee is the main crop, mangrove trees were initially planted intercropping to block the wind. However, thanks to the gradual increase in economic value and the district's support for tree varieties since 2022, many households have boldly expanded the area of macadamia plantation. To date, the whole commune has had more than 121 hectares of macadamia trees, with about 60% of the coffee intercropping area.
One typical example of being good at economics is the family of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cuong (54 years old, village 5, Tan Canh commune). Not only growing macadamia nuts, he also invested in machinery including shell separators and mini drying kilns to process complete products, increasing the value after harvest.
Pre-processed macadamia nuts are sold for 180,000 to 200,000 VND/kg, much higher than selling fresh fruit. Thanks to that, each year he earns more than 100 million VND from 3 hectares of coffee intercropping plantations, after deducting all expenses.
According to Mr. Mai Huy Hung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Canh Commune, Dak To District, macadamia trees are very suitable for soil and soil, local climate, and have few pests and diseases. Thanks to technical training, people take good care of the trees, the yield of the trees reaches 1525 kg of fresh fruit per year.
The intercropping coffee model not only helps reduce care costs but also increases people's income by 3040 million VND per hectare per year.
The special thing that makes macadamia popular is the "ease of making" of this plant. Macadamia does not need much care and is not damaged by pests. People can take care of them in parallel when growing coffee gardens.
Not only is it easy to grow, macadamia is also easy to sell. Many households said that after harvesting and packaging, the products hardly need to find an output, customers have proactively come to order.
With those positive signals, mac ca is opening a new direction for Dak To farmers on the journey to develop sustainable, efficient agriculture and improve economic life.
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