The eastern region of Ho Chi Minh City currently possesses multiple export growing zone codes, with bananas emerging as a prominent commodity. In recent times, this product has maintained a stable market output, yielding high economic efficiency.
Since 2019, Thong Nhat Rubber Joint Stock Company has converted 73 hectares of inefficient rubber land in Nghia Thanh Commune to cultivate high-tech South American Cavendish bananas, a premium, globally popular variety grown in tropical regions, for export to China and South Korea.
From the initial implementation phase, the enterprise registered for food safety certification, established growing zone codes, constructed processing facilities, set up packaging stations, and applied VietGAP production standards. During production, numerous modern technologies were deployed, including drones for pesticide spraying, water-saving irrigation systems integrated with automatic fertilization, and a pulley transport system for bananas to minimize bruising and ensure product appearance quality. The economic efficiency of banana cultivation is evaluated as vastly superior to rubber trees. Consequently, the company has expanded its total export banana cultivation area to 215 hectares.
Currently, the company's banana products are exported to various markets including China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Middle Eastern countries. In 2025, the company's export volume reached over 7,800 tons, generating VND67 billion (approximately US$2.54 million) in revenue. According to Le Thi Ngoc Lan, Head of the company's Planning and Business Department, special focus is placed on upgrading the quality of growing zone codes to meet the stringent standards of import partners.
Kizuna Ba Ria - Vung Tau One Member Company Limited in Kim Long Commune is developing a South American Cavendish banana growing zone covering about 18 hectares in Tan Long Hamlet, Kim Long Commune. According to Vo Dinh Vu, Director of the company, this banana variety is highly favored in the global market, offers high yields, and suits local soil conditions.
Regarding the cultivation cycle, the enterprise executes approximately three crops every two years. Currently, 80 percent of the company's banana volume is exported to South Korea, China, and Malaysia, while the remainder is sold to the domestic market. For export value alone, the company achieves a revenue of about VND7.8 billion (US$296,000) per banana crop.
According to farmer Ho Thi Nhu Thuy from Kim Long Commune, participating in export banana cultivation has provided farming households with peace of mind regarding quality and product consumption. Farmers no longer worry about a bumper harvest causing prices to drop, or having to rely on agricultural rescue campaigns due to a lack of consumption markets, as seen in conventional farming.
South American Cavendish bananas are boosting locals’incomes
In general, South American Cavendish bananas have become one of the crops bringing high economic efficiency to the eastern region of Ho Chi Minh City in recent years. This crop not only helps numerous enterprises and farming households increase incomes but also plays a vital role in the agricultural export activities of the region.
Faced with growing market demand, businesses are planning to expand their growing zones. Vo Dinh Vu stated that Kizuna Ba Ria - Vung Tau One Member Company Limited will continue investing in clean production processes, quality control, and export market expansion to raise the value of Vietnamese agricultural products on the international market. The company also aims to expand its growing zone scale from 18 hectares to between 40 and 50 hectares in the near future to increase output and better fulfill export orders.
Chairman Do Chi Khoi of the Kim Long Commune People's Committee affirmed that cultivating South American Cavendish bananas for export is a high-tech agricultural application model encouraged for local development. This model yields high value, promotes sustainable agricultural development, and creates stable jobs for local laborers.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the eastern region of Ho Chi Minh City possesses many favorable conditions to develop export South American Cavendish bananas, such as basalt red soil and grey alluvial soil suitable for banana cultivation, a stable climate, and minimal impact from major storms. Furthermore, the transport infrastructure and logistics systems create a significant advantage for agricultural export activities. Currently, this region has export banana growing zones in Kim Long, Nghia Thanh, Xuyen Moc, Tam Long, and other areas, totaling a combined area of over 600 hectares.
In the coming time, this region is oriented to continue expanding export growing zone codes, increase production areas achieving VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, and accelerate the application of digital agriculture and automation in production. Parallel to these efforts, key export banana cultivation localities also aim to diversify export markets, reduce dependence on a few traditional markets, and elevate the value of the product chain through deep processing.
