How to restore the unique orange grove in Vu Xa.

Thanks to techniques that allow the fruit to ripen late in the year, Vu Xa oranges in Bac An Phu ward (Hai Phong) are being bought by traders directly from the orchards at high prices.

Currently, Vu Xa residential area has over 30 hectares of orange groves, a decrease of about half compared to before Typhoon Yagi .

Storm recovery

Following Typhoon Yagi, a large portion of the orange groves in Vu Xa residential area were severely affected. Many old orange orchards suffered damage, root rot, and stunted growth, putting orange growers at risk of total crop loss if timely solutions are not implemented. In response to this situation, local farmers proactively sought out and applied scientific and technical advancements to quickly restore production.

One of the most effective approaches is grafting Vinh oranges onto pomelo rootstock. Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, from Vu Xa residential area, is one of the pioneering households applying this technique. On his family's more than 2 acres of orange trees, Mr. Thang has grafted over 100 orange trees, and these trees are now yielding a stable harvest. More than 300 other grafted orange trees are also growing and developing well, promising to bear fruit in the near future.

More and more grapefruit trees are being grafted with oranges, which not only helps to quickly restore orange-growing areas but also brings clear economic benefits.

According to Mr. Thang, the grapefruit rootstocks selected are healthy trees with well-developed root systems and good adaptability to alluvial soil conditions. After purchasing them from nurseries in Bac Ninh, he selects healthy, disease-free orange scions for grafting. Thanks to the application of proper techniques and care according to biosafety procedures, the survival rate of the trees is high, they grow quickly, and are less susceptible to pests and diseases.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, Director of That Hung Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative, said that grafting oranges onto pomelo rootstock is a solution that brings double benefits, both shortening the harvesting time and reducing pests and diseases. In fact, this method has been proactively tested by some orange growers since the end of 2023 and has achieved positive results before being widely adopted throughout the region. In the context of agricultural production being severely affected after natural disasters, this is a suitable direction to help people quickly restore their orchards, stabilize production, and improve economic efficiency.

Based on the positive results, many households in Vu Xa have changed their farming methods. Instead of planting oranges from small seedlings as before, people have switched to planting large, grafted trees to shorten the harvesting time and quickly stabilize their income. This approach is being encouraged by the cooperative, contributing to the recovery and sustainable development of the Vu Xa orange growing area, especially after Typhoon Yagi.

Serving the Tet market

Organically grown oranges, ripe with golden yellow, are popular with consumers and are a favorite agricultural product during the Lunar New Year.

After enduring severe natural disasters, thanks to proactive changes in production mindset and flexible application of technological advancements, orange growers in Vu Xa have essentially maintained their high-quality orange growing area.

In the final days of the year, when many large orange-growing regions in the North have entered the harvest season, the atmosphere of harvesting is just beginning to liven up in Vu Xa residential area, Bac An Phu ward. On the fertile land enriched by the alluvial soil of the Kinh Thuy River, orchards of ripe, golden oranges are ready to supply the market for the Lunar New Year.

Cam Vu Xa has achieved OCOP 4-star standard.

Unlike traditional farming methods that rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, orange growers in Vu Xa have quickly shifted to organic production. The goal is not only to improve economic efficiency but, more importantly, to produce clean oranges that retain the natural flavor of the alluvial soil.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong, a resident of Vu Xa residential area, was one of the first people to bring orange trees to plant in the Bac An Phu area. Currently, his family owns more than 1 hectare of Vinh oranges and Duong Canh oranges with about 1,000 trees. On average, each plot has 35-40 trees, each tree yielding about 30-40 kg of fruit per year. With selling prices ranging from 40,000 to 45,000 VND/kg, his family earns a profit of about 500-600 million VND per year.

Like many other orange growers, Mr. Cuong's family decided from the beginning to cultivate oranges in a clean and sustainable way. No herbicides are used in the orchard; the natural grass under the trees is left to retain moisture, improve soil quality, and provide natural nutrients. Growing clean oranges not only enhances product quality but also contributes to environmental protection and consumer health.

To ensure high-quality oranges for the Tet (Lunar New Year) market, orchard owners persistently apply their own organic farming practices. Composted soybeans and fish are used as the primary fertilizers, combined with the use of biological preparations to replace pesticides. Fertilization is carefully calculated to suit each stage of the tree's growth. As a result, Vu Xa oranges are characterized by their juiciness, rich sweetness, delicate aroma, and extended ripening time. Towards the end of the season, the oranges accumulate more sugar, resulting in a more intense and pronounced sweetness.

Because they are organically grown, these oranges have a rich, sweet flavor, a delicate aroma, and a longer ripening time compared to oranges from other regions.

Currently, Bac An Phu ward has over 30 hectares of orange orchards, mainly concentrated in Vu Xa residential area. Due to the impact of weather and natural disasters, the yield is only about 8-9 tons/ha, nearly half of what it used to be. However, thanks to stable selling prices, Vu Xa oranges still yield an economic return of over 300 million VND/ha, with production still insufficient to meet market demand.

In the coming period, the locality will continue to plan and convert inefficient rice-growing areas to fruit tree cultivation, forming concentrated production zones in a safe manner, contributing to increasing economic value and creating a source of clean, high-quality agricultural products for the market.

TRAN HIEN - THANH CHUNG

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/cach-khoi-phuc-vuon-cam-doc-dao-o-vu-xa-530922.html