Arriving in the Na Ka plum valley, Thao Nguyen ward, early in the morning, the atmosphere of enthusiastic labor was evident everywhere on the hillsides and in the orchards. Leading us on a tour of the plum orchards of households in the sub-district, Mr. Hau A Tang, Party Secretary and Head of the Pa Khen residential group, said: The residential group has over 500 households, 90% of which cultivate plums on an area of over 150 hectares. The households have focused on investing in and caring for the plums using proper techniques, resulting in large, uniform, and beautiful fruit; traders from many places come to buy them, forming long-standing relationships, so the market is relatively stable.
Standing out in the Na Ka plum valley is the more than 3-hectare plum orchard of Mr. Lau A Giang's family in Pa Khen residential area. The branches laden with ripe, red plums are the result of the tireless efforts of the entire family. Mr. Giang excitedly shared: "This year, my family expects to harvest about 30 tons of plums. To achieve the current yield and consistent quality, my family strictly adheres to clean agricultural practices, prioritizing the use of organic fertilizers, maintaining grass to retain soil moisture, and pruning branches correctly to ensure the trees receive sufficient sunlight. Thanks to this, our plums always retain their characteristic crispness, sweetness, and juiciness. The plums are purchased at prices ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 VND/kg depending on size, and my family expects to earn over 400 million VND."
After harvesting, the villagers carefully load the baskets of fresh, plump plums onto motorbikes and collection vehicles to transport them to collection points. Here, the atmosphere is bustling with activity; dozens of workers work continuously without rest. Some carefully select and sort plums by size, while others swiftly pack them into styrofoam boxes. This process requires skill to preserve the natural white bloom that protects the fruit, and to prevent bruising, maintaining the plums' freshness, crispness, and sweetness throughout the long journey south.
While busily recording transactions in her ledger, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a trader from Hanoi , shared: "Moc Chau plums always have a special appeal to the market because of their superior quality. This year, farmers have applied good cultivation techniques, resulting in large, round, evenly shaped plums with an attractive red color and a rich, sweet taste. Every day, I buy 10-15 tons of various plums at prices ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 VND/kg to export to major wholesale markets in Hanoi and the Southern region."
Besides generating income from selling the fruit, the plum orchards also welcome visitors to experience fruit picking, with entrance fees ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 VND per person. Many tourists, dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, enthusiastically capture beautiful moments amidst the vast orchards of ripe plums, picking and enjoying the fresh, delicious fruit themselves.
Ms. Le Quynh Anh, a tourist from Da Nang city, excitedly said: "It was very interesting to experience being a farmer, carrying a basket on my back, bending down each plum branch or even climbing the tree to pick ripe plums with their white bloom still intact and enjoying them right in the orchard. I chose the big, beautiful ones to buy as gifts for my family and friends to enjoy."
Currently, the Moc Chau plateau has nearly 3,500 hectares of late-season plums. To support farmers in selling late-season plums, localities in the Moc Chau plateau region have developed a product promotion plan since the beginning of the year. Along with this, they continue to promote and boost the consumption of late-season plums on e-commerce platforms, connecting them to supermarkets and retail systems. They also support and encourage cooperatives and businesses in the area to purchase and promote processed products from plums such as dried plums, candied plums, plum syrup, and plum wine. This helps to alleviate the pressure on the consumption of Moc Chau plums.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Van, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thao Nguyen Ward, informed: To promote, introduce, and connect the consumption of Moc Chau plums, Thao Nguyen Ward will organize the 2026 Plum Harvesting Festival at Na Ka plum valley, Pa Khen sub-area, at the end of May. This will create opportunities for plum growers to exchange ideas, learn, and improve their knowledge and experience in planting and caring for plums; and at the same time create high-value products from the plums. This will also be an opportunity to attract the attention of investors, create synergy between agricultural development and tourism, build new and attractive tourism products, and attract a large number of tourists to the Moc Chau National Tourist Area.
With the joint support of local authorities in connecting agricultural product consumption, along with a change in mindset, active investment, and the application of science and technology in caring for and improving the quality of plum products to meet customer needs and tastes, building a brand and maintaining relationships will contribute to boosting product consumption, helping people in Moc Chau plateau have a more stable income from plum cultivation.
Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/cao-nguyen-moc-chau-mua-man-chin-slhyhK0vR.html
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