Grapefruit growing areas in the province are in harvest season.

At this time, grapefruit growing areas in the province enter the harvest season. In many places, farmers are busy harvesting grapefruit to sell to small traders everywhere who buy in the garden and also through e-commerce channels and social networks. In mid-December, the landscape in many neighborhoods, villages and hamlets in Tan Lac district becomes more eye-catching, the atmosphere is more bustling and crowded when grapefruit gardens are in the harvest season.

Tan Lac red grapefruit products are packaged by Fusa Organic Agriculture Joint Stock Company and exported by ECO Hoa Binh Joint Stock Company at the end of November 2024.

We arrived at Man Duc town (Tan Lac), the light scent of grapefruit permeated every alley. In the garden, ripe grapefruits with a shiny yellow color, hung heavily on the branches. Visiting the 14-year-old grapefruit garden of Mr. Pham Van Hoi's family in Tan Phong area, hundreds of freshly picked grapefruits were packed into bags and placed on carts to deliver to traders. Mr. Hoi said: The family's grapefruit garden has an area of nearly 3,000 m2 with green-skin grapefruit, red grapefruit, and Dien grapefruit, cared for according to VietGAP standards. In particular, green-skin grapefruit was harvested in August, now at the end of the season; red grapefruit was harvested in late October, at this time the family continues to harvest Dien grapefruit. With sizes such as marbles, 8 ounces to 1.2 kg, 1.2 - 1.5 kg, 1.5 - 2 kg and 2 kg or more, the price of green-skinned grapefruit ranges from 10,000 - 40,000 VND/kg. Red grapefruit and Dien grapefruit are mainly sold by fruit, not by weight. Compared to the previous crop, the price of grapefruit this year has decreased slightly.

In recent years, with improvements in technical processes and farmers' production thinking, the quality of grapefruit products has improved and is highly appreciated by consumers. According to data from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tan Lac district, the whole district currently has over 1,100 hectares of grapefruit of all kinds being harvested. As of September 30, 2024, the whole district has over 217 hectares of grapefruit certified by VietGAP, organic, and assigned codes for domestic and export growing areas. Some grapefruit growing areas are concentrated in the communes of Thanh Hoi, Dong Lai, and Tu Ne with high income value, reaching about 380 - 415 million VND/ha; the average value per hectare of grapefruit grown in the district is 194.45 million VND. The estimated grapefruit output in 2024 is estimated at over 17,600 tons, consumed in both domestic and export markets. To accompany farmers in consuming local key products, the district has developed a plan to organize product promotion activities inside and outside the area such as: participating in festivals, fairs, product promotion programs in the province; maintaining grapefruit selling points in the district and province; actively connecting and searching for new consumption markets, including domestic and export markets...

Along with Tan Lac district, farmers in grapefruit growing areas in the districts of Luong Son, Kim Boi, Yen Thuy... are also busy harvesting to prepare for orders from near and far. Currently, the whole province has a total area of grapefruit of all kinds of about 5,400 hectares, of which Tan Lac district has over 1,100 hectares, Luong Son district nearly 800 hectares, Yen Thuy district about 600 hectares... The grapefruit output in the 2024 crop is expected to reach about 105 thousand tons, and Dien grapefruit harvest will end by mid-January 2025.

The grapefruit harvest season is also the time when localities focus on a new export season. This crop year, there are 3 types of grapefruit exported: Dien grapefruit, Tan Lac red grapefruit and green-skin grapefruit, a new product exported for the first time. However, due to the impact of natural disasters, especially after storm No. 3, the percentage of fruit samples meeting export standards decreased due to pests and diseases arising after prolonged rain, although the internal quality of the fruit is very good, ensuring Brix level.

Comrade Nguyen Hong Yen, Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, said: To increase grapefruit export output this crop year, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed units under the Department to implement many solutions. In particular, 35 growing area codes have been granted for grapefruit products for export to the markets: Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, EU, Korea; increasing the area certified by GlobalGAP. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also issued cultivation procedures for grapefruit for export to ensure compliance with the regulations of importing countries. With the demand of businesses placing orders this year, the total grapefruit export output can reach 250 - 300 tons. Regarding the grapefruit consumption orientation, in addition to seeking new export markets, localities need to pay attention to using the effect from export activities to boost consumption in the domestic market. Since then, not only grapefruit products but also other agricultural products of the province have quality that meets export standards and are widely consumed in the domestic market.

Thu Hang

Source: http://www.baohoabinh.com.vn/12/196580/Cac-vung-buoi-tr111ng-tinh-vao-vu-thu-hoach-.htm