Mr. Vi Van Luong takes care of his family's Thai orange orchard.
After graduating from high school, while many of his peers chose to leave their hometown to find work, Luong decided to stay in his homeland. Sharing with reporters, he said: "My family's Dien pomelo orchard was once a great hope, but over time, the trees gradually aged, the fruit quality decreased, and the price of pomelos fluctuated, resulting in low economic efficiency."
In early 2022, Mr. Luong decided to visit Luc Ngan district, formerly Bac Giang province – a region famous for its fruit tree cultivation models – to observe and learn about growing Thai oranges firsthand. Through his experience, he realized that this variety of orange yields high productivity, produces good quality fruit, and, most importantly, has stable economic value.
At the end of 2022, after much deliberation, Mr. Luong decided to invest about 30 million VND to buy Thai orange seedlings to graft onto 200 existing Dien pomelo trees. Instead of demolishing the old orchard, he chose the grafting method because it was both cost-effective and utilized the healthy root system of the old pomelo trees. However, due to a lack of experience and technique, in the early days of implementing the model, many trees suffered from yellowing leaves, curled leaves, pest and disease attacks, and some even died.
Undeterred, Mr. Luong persevered in finding ways to overcome the challenges. He traveled to large orchards to learn, consulted specialized books and articles, researched information online, and gradually adjusted his care and pest control processes. Accordingly, he focused on improving the soil, adjusting the irrigation regime appropriately, applying balanced fertilizers according to each growth stage, and strengthening integrated pest and disease control for the trees. His patience and hard work paid off when his orange orchard began to recover, grow steadily, and thrive.
Seeing that the model was progressing in the right direction, in 2023, Mr. Luong continued to graft more Thai orange buds onto 300 Dien pomelo trees. By 2024, through the Tan Thanh Commune Farmers' Association, he was given the opportunity to borrow 50 million VND from the Provincial Farmers' Association's Farmers' Support Fund, giving him additional resources to invest in more systematic care for his orchard.
After about two years of care, the family's Thai orange orchard began to bear its first "sweet fruits." In 2024, more than 200 orange trees yielded a harvest of about 8-9 tons. The oranges have a rich, sweet taste, a distinctive aroma, and an attractive appearance, so traders bought them directly from the orchard at an average price of 30,000-40,000 VND/kg, bringing in revenue of about 300 million VND.
In 2025, the orange orchard will enter a stable phase with nearly 500 trees ready for harvest, with an expected yield of over 25 tons. With an average selling price of around 40,000 VND/kg, the orchard is expected to bring his family an estimated revenue of 1 billion VND.
Not stopping there, Mr. Luong also proactively diversified his production to reduce risks. His family currently maintains a nursery for acacia seedlings, selling approximately 300,000 to 400,000 seedlings annually, generating an income of nearly 100 million VND. Alongside farming, he also developed chicken farming on a scale of 4,000-5,000 chickens per year, bringing in revenue of about 400 million VND.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, Standing Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tan Thanh commune and Chairwoman of the Farmers' Association of the commune, said: "Mr. Vi Van Luong is a typical young member of the Farmers' Association, daring to think and act, boldly innovating production thinking, and a pioneer in growing Thai oranges in the commune. At the same time, he always actively participates in association work, regularly guiding and sharing production experiences, contributing to supporting other members in developing their economy. Mr. Luong is truly a role model of a typical young farmer for the Farmers' Association in the commune to learn from and emulate."
Source: https://baolangson.vn/nong-dan-tre-lam-giau-tu-cam-thai-5069225.html
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