(VOVWORLD) -Farms that grow bananas for export in Gia Lai province are making money and employing local workers. The most outstanding banana producer is the Hung Son high-tech agriculture company.
 Bananas growing in Ia Pet commune (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
Hung Son, established in 2019, was the first enterprise in Dak Doa district having a banana growing area code and a banana packing facility code. Hung Son grows the Cavendish banana variety originally from South America on 460 hectares in Ia Pet, Kon Gang, and Hneng commune. This high-yield banana has a thin, bright yellow skin and sweet, aromatic flesh.
In addition to growing bananas, Hung Son also intercrops 50 hectares of a medicinal plant called polyscias fruiticose and 10 hectares of other medicinal plants, including dipsacus asper, codonopsis pilosula, and female ginseng.
 One of Hung Son’s banana packing facilities (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
The company uses tissue culture nursery to control plant quality, Israel’s drip irrigation technology to conserve water, and drones to spray pesticides. Le Hoang Linh, Director in charge of raw material area, says Hung Son has invested in a cold storage system to preserve harvested products, adding that the entire process of growing and exporting bananas is carried out according to the international GlobalGAP standard.
“We export bananas mainly to South Korea and Japan, with an annual volume of 20,000 tons, earning nearly 14 million USD a year. It takes about 11 months to grow banana trees to harvest. One hectare produces 50 to 60 tons of bananas per year,” said Linh.
The company has 120 full-time employees and 1,100 temporary workers. Since it began growing bananas in Dak Doa district, Hung Son has hired any local who wants to work, said Lu Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ia Pet commune. According to Tuan, “Local workers are given priority. Any villager who wants to work is hired. The company has hired many locals, contributing to poverty reduction and household economic development. Hung Son has two production areas in Ia Pet and Hneng commune.”
The company has worked with households who have farmland, providing them seeds, fertilizers, farming and processing techniques, and sharing profit. Households in Hneng commune that work with the company have planted 23 hectares of bananas. After deducting investment costs, banana-growing families earn 5,900 to 7,800 USD per hectare. Recruited workers receive a month of training.
Pyen, a Bana ethnic who works for Hung Son, told VOV, “I work in the weighing and packaging division. After two weeks of training, I was able to do the job. The working environment and conditions are good. My monthly income is 240 USD, which is enough to live on.”
 Bananas packed for export (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
Hung Son has permanent and seasonal workers. Permanent workers who have worked for a long time are covered by social insurance, said Mui of the Jrai ethnic group. “I’ve been working for the company for four years. I used to do farming that was hard and yielded an undependable income. Since I began to work at the factory, I’ve earned a stable 240 USD a month. If I have to work overtime, I get extra money. On holidays and at Tet, the company gives the workers bonuses,” said Mui.
Hung Son exports 25,000 tons of banana products a year to South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan (China), Singapore, Qatar, and Israel, earning 17.5 million USD. The company plans to expand its banana production, which will boost local economic growth.