Buddha’s hand brings wealth to Vietnam farmers

Many Vietnamese farmers have become billionaires by growing Buddha's hand, an unusually shaped fruit that earns its name because it is segmented into finger-like sections.

The fruit, also known as finger citron, yields all year round but becomes sought-after only before the Lunar New Year, as it will be a delicious religious offering during the week-long holiday, known as Tet in Vietnamese.

The fruit is favored as a religious offering because it is fragrant, resembles the hand of Buddha, and symbolizes happiness, longevity and good fortune.

Around 70 hectares of the fruit is being grown in Dac So Commune of Hoai Duc District in Hanoi to embrace the upcoming Tet, which is just under 20 days away.

With finger citron growers raking in billions of dong in profit after each harvest season, even the Hanoi authorities are curious about the success of the fruit.

On January 20, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi led a group of officials to visit the finger citron plantation owned by Ta Huu Dang and his wife, Nguyen Thi Dung.

“I have signed a contract to sell the whole plantation for VND800 million (US$37,282),” Dang said, when asked by the city’s leader how much the fruits will earn him after Tet.

The grower added that with the plantation producing fruit all year round, he also raked in VND200 million ($9,321) and VND300 million ($13,981) after the January-April, and April-July crops.

“So the annual profit is VND1.3 billion,” the 40-year-old farmer, who has been growing the fruit for five years, proudly concluded.

Nguyen Thi Huong, chairwoman of Dac So Commune, said the number of growers of Buddha’s hand fruit has increased drastically as the fruit has far more economic value than other plants.

The fruit crop in Dac So has expanded from only 20 hectares in 2010 to 70 hectares today.

“Eighty percent of locals in the commune are earning a livelihood from the Buddha’s hand,” she added.

But the ten-figure revenue is not easy money, as farmers have to exert much effort to tend the crops.

“The growers must love and understand the plants,” Dang said, adding that farmers must be meticulous in watering and fertilizing in order to grow the best-looking fruits.

Ta Van Phuc, chairman of the Dac So production association, said nearly 300 local households are growing finger citron.

A farmer has to invest around VND400 million ($18,641) per acre (1 hectare = 2.7 acres) for the first 20 months before harvest, Phuc said.

An acre of finger citron can bring in VND700 million to 1 billion ($32,622-$46,603) in profit.

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