Ensuring funding for sustainable orange cultivation development.

Amidst the lush green hills of Cao Phong orange-growing region, credit capital from Agribank Cao Phong Branch is quietly flowing, empowering thousands of farmers to replant, expand their cultivated area, and improve the quality of oranges – the key crop of the locality.

In the early days of the year, when the morning mist still lingers on the hillsides of the orange-growing communes of Muong Thang, Thung Nai, and Cao Phong, the atmosphere in the orange orchards is already bustling with activity. Amidst the vast green canopy of leaves, the vibrant orange hues signal the approaching new harvest season. Behind these orchards laden with fruit lies the enduring support of agricultural and rural credit, with Agribank Cao Phong Branch playing a leading role.

Thanks to bank loans, people in Cao Phong commune have the opportunity to replant orange trees and develop their family economy .

The total capital of Agribank Cao Phong Branch currently stands at nearly 558 billion VND. The total outstanding loan balance is 1,059 billion VND. Notably, loans to the agricultural and rural sector amount to nearly 949 billion VND, accounting for 89.6% of the branch's total outstanding loans. Of this, capital allocated to replanting orange trees and supporting orange production and business accounts for approximately 60%, demonstrating a clear focus on the local key crop.

Currently, Agribank Cao Phong Branch is providing loans in Cao Phong, Muong Thang, and Thung Nai communes – key orange-growing areas in the southern part of the province. Statistics show that in these communes alone, the area under orange cultivation has reached over 1,300 hectares out of a total of over 1,700 hectares of citrus fruit trees, creating a concentrated production area associated with the famous Cao Phong orange brand.

Leading us on a tour of her 2-hectare orange orchard on the hillside, Ms. Dao Thi Quynh Nga, from Zone 5, Cao Phong commune, proudly pointed to the rows of evenly growing orange trees. Her family is one of the long-standing orange growers in the area. When the old orange trees entered a stage of degeneration and their yield decreased, her family proactively cut them down and rotated them with beans, peas, and corn to improve the soil before replanting.

“The initial stage was very difficult because planting new orange trees requires a large investment, and harvesting only begins from the fourth year onwards,” Ms. Nga shared. To obtain capital for replanting, her family borrowed hundreds of millions of dong from Agribank Cao Phong Branch. The money was used to invest in Canh oranges, yellow-fleshed oranges, V2 oranges, and more recently, Thai oranges, which are currently popular in the market.

According to Ms. Nga, the current investment cost for one hectare of oranges ranges from 130 to 180 million VND per year, including seedlings, fertilizers, care, pest and disease control, and labor. "Without capital from the bank, it would be difficult to maintain and expand the orange orchard in a systematic and high-quality manner," Ms. Nga said. Thanks to the timely disbursement of loan capital, her family not only overcame the initial development phase but also had the opportunity to hire additional local laborers, creating stable employment for many workers.

In addition to providing loans to households for tái production, Agribank Cao Phong Branch has also boldly lent between 2 and 7 billion VND to many individual customers to develop and plant dozens of hectares of new orange trees. This demonstrates the bank's confidence in the economic effectiveness of orange cultivation as well as the production capacity of local people.

Ms. Pham Thi Mai Phuong, Deputy Director of Agribank Cao Phong Branch, affirmed: Cao Phong oranges are identified as a key crop in the region's agricultural economic development, bringing in significant income and contributing to improving the lives of the people. In the context of a challenging economy, the branch has implemented many flexible and preferential credit programs to support people in replanting, expanding acreage, and improving the quality of their orange orchards. At the same time, they proactively monitor the area, understanding the actual capital needs of each household to ensure timely disbursement and prevent disruptions to production capital flows.

"We believe that partnering with farmers means not only providing capital but also sharing difficulties and supporting customers in overcoming periods of market volatility," Ms. Phuong emphasized.

In the coming period, Agribank Cao Phong Branch will continue to prioritize capital allocation to the agricultural and rural sectors, especially to efficient and sustainable production models. Following the orientation of improving product quality, the branch will continue to work alongside farmers to develop organic and clean orange farming models according to VietGAP standards.

Hong Trung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/dam-bao-nguon-von-phuc-vu-phat-trien-vung-cam-ben-vung-247441.htm