A Chi Linh farmer grows off-season dragon fruit and earns nearly 300 million VND per hectare.

According to a representative of the Ben Tam Ward Farmers' Association, Mr. Nguyen Van Tam's household has been growing 1 hectare of off-season dragon fruit for about 3-4 years now. This year's dragon fruit yield is about 10 tons/ha, after deducting expenses, Mr. Tam's family earns nearly 300 million VND/ha. This amount of dragon fruit is sold to traders to bring to Hai Phong, Quang Ninh... for consumption.

To grow off-season dragon fruit, Mr. Tam uses a lighting system, which costs about 500 million VND/ha. However, with just one investment, it can be exploited for many years.

Dragon fruit trees are lit every night. Depending on the stage and weather, Mr. Tam adjusts the lighting time accordingly, 4-6 hours/night. Dragon fruit is a light-loving plant, while winter in the North has little light, so lighting creates favorable conditions for the plant to grow, develop, and produce fruit. Off-season dragon fruit also has fewer pests and diseases than in the main season.

Mr. Tam's family has 2 hectares of dragon fruit. In addition to off-season harvest, he still maintains fertilization to harvest main-season dragon fruit. Main-season dragon fruit yields over 20 tons/ha, after deducting costs, the profit is about 300 million VND/ha.

Ben Tam Ward has about 45 hectares of dragon fruit, but only Mr. Tam's household applies the conditions for dragon fruit to bear fruit out of season.