As fruit trees suit local soil and climate conditions and generate high economic value, Son Thinh township has been encouraging its residents to convert poor-performing land into orchards, develop household economic models, apply technical advances, plant high-yield and high-quality varieties, and adopt clean and safe production practices so as to raise fruit value.

From scattered and small-scale farming, Son Thinh has managed to form a fruit farming zone with a total area of more than 200ha, cultivating such trees as longan (119ha), lychee (15ha), and orange and pomelo (nearly 40ha).

Mai Hoang Thi Mai from the Hong Son residential area said in 2013, her family converted a poor-performing maize cultivation area into a longan orchard. After three years of good caring, the trees have yielded fruit. Last crop, her family harvested over 4 tonnes and sold at 26,000 - 30,000 VND per kg. They also reaped nearly 5 tonnes of orange and pomelo.

Aside from Son Thinh township, other concentrated fruit farming zones have also been established in Van Chan district such as orange in outlying communes; longan in Lien Son township and Son Luong commune; pear in some mountainous communes; and custard apple in Suoi Bu, Cat Thinh, and Dong Khe communes.

Van Chan district is currently home to nearly 2,800ha of fruit farming land. Some high-yield, high-quality, and disease-resistant varieties, as well as off-season yielding ones, have been grown, generating high and stable income for locals.

Under the plan on fruit farming development in Van Chan for 2021 - 2025, the district will cover 70 percent of the seedling costs to help farmers apply advanced cultivation techniques to 195ha of fruit farming, including orange, longan, pear, and persimmon.

By 2025, it will also strive to expand the total fruit farming area to over 3,300ha, raise the total output to 45,000 tonnes, increase the productivity by 1.2 - 2 times from the current level, and meet demand in the market in and outside Yen Bai province.