The season of ripe oranges, the season of joy.

QUANG NINH - In recent days, many orange orchards in Van Yen commune (Van Don district) have begun their harvest season, with each tree laden with fruit, displaying their golden hues in the morning sunlight.

QUANG NINH - In recent days, many orange orchards in Van Yen commune (Van Don district) have begun their harvest season, with each tree laden with fruit, displaying their golden hues in the morning sunlight.

The orange orchards in Van Yen are ripening to a golden yellow. Photo: Thanh Phuong.

Located about 10km from the center of Van Don district, Van Yen commune is nestled amidst rolling hills and forests. With its fresh air and ideal soil conditions, the oranges grown here delight visitors from near and far with their irresistible flavor.

At this time of year, the orange trees are in their prime, their golden hues covering the hillsides and stream banks. Visiting Hamlet 10/10, home to the largest orange grove area in Van Yen commune, we met Mrs. Le Thi Bay, who has been involved in orange cultivation for over 20 years.

Greeting us with a bright and gentle smile, Mrs. Bay took us on a tour of her family's orchards laden with ripe oranges. On a vast hillside, thousands of orange trees laden with fruit stretched out before us. In the expansive, open space of the mountains and forests, the golden oranges seemed to adorn and contribute to the dazzling beauty of nature.

Ms. Le Thi Bay stands beside her orchard laden with ripe oranges. Photo: Thanh Phuong.

“The orange trees in Van Yen are growing very well, every tree is laden with fruit. Even for the trees with so much fruit, I have to use wooden stakes to support and brace them to prevent them from being blown over or broken by the wind. This year, due to the impact of the storm, the yield has decreased by about 40% compared to previous years, but luckily the quality of the oranges remains good,” Mrs. Bay shared.

In recent days, as the oranges ripen, traders have begun coming directly to the orchards to buy them, in order to meet the demand of numerous tourists from both within and outside the province. According to Mrs. Bay, traders come to the orchards every morning to pick the fruit, and the orchard owners only need to stand outside to check and weigh the fruit.

Gently lifting the bunches of oranges, Mrs. Bay confided, "After a year of hard work, this is the happiest time for the people here. Traders flock in to pick the fruit; the oranges sell out as soon as they ripen. It's thanks to these oranges that the farmers have beautiful houses to live in and new cars to drive."

Clusters of oranges laden with fruit. Photo: Thanh Phuong.

Located about 2 km from Mrs. Bay's orange orchard, Mr. Tran Danh Dai's family's orange orchard is also in its peak ripening season, with every fruit plump and juicy. Speaking with the Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper, Mr. Dai enthusiastically shared:

"The oranges have started to be harvested, and the estimated price is around 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg. For many years now, during the orange season, traders come directly to the orchard to buy them, so I don't have to bother taking them to the market to sell, and that's why my income has increased."

On their 3-hectare plot, in addition to growing native varieties of mandarin oranges and sweet oranges, Mr. Dai's family also cultivates several varieties of sweet tangerines to increase the choices for customers.

To create the delicious flavor of Van Yen oranges, in addition to soil conditions, the care process plays a particularly important role. According to Ms. Le Thi Bay, for many years, the orange trees have been grown and cared for according to VietGAP standards with organic fertilizer, applied as a base fertilizer four times a year, and the use of pesticides has been minimized.

Looking at the orchards of ripe, golden oranges, the farmers in Van Yen are even more joyful and excited. Thanks to the orange trees, the economic lives of the farmers are becoming increasingly prosperous, gradually realizing their dream of getting rich on their own land.

Currently, in Van Yen commune, there are more than 100 households growing oranges with a total area of ​​about 200 hectares. In 2016, Van Yen oranges were recognized as an OCOP product of Quang Ninh province and have become a key economic crop in the locality for many years.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/mua-cam-chin-mua-cua-nhung-niem-vui-d410757.html