The Viet Nam Farmers’ Union Central Committee has held the seventh “Scientist for Farmers” honouring programme. Among the 42 outstanding individuals honoured on this occasion, Dak Lak province had one honouree, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich, a member of the Farmers’ Union in CuMlan Hamlet, Ea Sup Commune.

Drawing on local conditions in Ea Sup, where Ruby guava is grown on sandy, gravelly soil under year-round hot climate, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich conducted research into solutions to enhance the value of agricultural products rather than relying solely on fresh-fruit sales. The initiative,  titled “Developing products from Ruby guava in the Ea Sup border area”, combines production, processing and by-product utilisation.

Using Ruby guava as the main raw material, she researched and refined processing techniques to develop a range of products, including fresh guava, Briet Organic guava leaf tea, Ruby guava wine combined with guava juice. The model has gradually shifted from linear production towards a circular production approach, reducing material waste as well as agricultural waste.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich with products made from Ruby guava.

Following the implementation of the initiative, the products are no longer solely as fresh fruit but are also processed, raising their value from 20,000 VND/kg to 30,000 VND/kg. Revenue from 2 ha of guava has increased from 1.6 billion VND to 2.4 billion VND per year.

Alongside efforts to increase agricultural product value, Ms. Bich has gradually adopted digital transformation to manage the growing area, update production logs and enable traceability via FaceFarm software coupled with QR codes, aiming to establish a quality-assured growing area with transparent product information.

The “Scientist for Farmers” honouring programme is an expression of gratitude from Viet Nam’s peasantry to the country’s scientists, while encouraging and promoting close, effective linkages alongside cooperation between scientists and farmers, thereby strengthening the alliance among the working class, the peasantry together with the intelligentsia.

Translated by KHUONG THAO