Strawberry season in the mountains

At this time of year, the Seven Mountains region, including Mount Cam, Mount Dai, and Mount Co To, is bustling with strawberry harvesting. The laden strawberry gardens not only provide income for the farmers but also attract tourists who come to visit and enjoy this mountain specialty.

Growing green strawberries has helped Tran Thi Loc's family stabilize their lives. Photo: DUC TOAN

Visiting Nui Dai mountain in Ba Chuc commune this season, you'll easily spot locals carrying baskets of green mulberries and rambutan down the mountain. The mulberry season has begun. In Ms. Tran Thi Loc's garden, the mulberry trees are laden with fruit. Ms. Loc says that mulberry trees have taken root in the Nui Dai mountain area for over 20 years. Previously, people mainly grew cashews, mangoes, and bananas. During a visit to the Bay Nui region, the late Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher, and Labor Hero Vo Tong Xuan recognized the potential of this land and encouraged people to switch to growing high - value fruit trees, including mulberries. Since then, mulberries have become a staple for farmers in Nui Dai mountain.

According to Ms. Loc, after the Lunar New Year, the mulberry trees begin to flower and bear fruit. Harvesting starts around April of the lunar calendar and lasts until June. “This year the weather wasn't favorable, resulting in some underdeveloped mulberries, so the yield isn't high. However, the mulberries here are grown completely naturally, so tourists buy them at 8,000-10,000 VND/kg, ensuring farmers still earn a decent income,” Ms. Loc shared.

Not only on Dai Mountain, but also on Phuong Hoang Son (Co To Mountain), Tri Ton commune, the strawberry gardens are entering their harvest season. Unlike in the lowlands, the strawberry plants here are grown extensively from the mountainside all the way to the summit. The steep and rugged terrain means the strawberry plants mainly thrive in natural conditions, with little human intervention. Thanks to the cool climate year-round, the plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases, and the locals hardly use pesticides. This is what makes the strawberries from this mountain region a clean product, favored by consumers.

Although relatively easy to grow, mulberry trees still require care to produce high-quality fruit. Mr. Tran Hoang Me, owner of Gia Bao mulberry garden with about 400 trees, said that he fertilizes the trees three times a year with organic fertilizer – at the beginning, middle, and end of the rainy season – to ensure they receive enough nutrients to grow. Just one bag of fertilizer is enough for about 100 trees. After many years of thriving on the sloping land, mulberry trees have provided a stable source of income for many households in the mountainous region. Currently, Mr. Me's green mulberries are purchased by traders at 6,000-8,000 VND/kg, and after deducting expenses, he earns a profit of approximately 100 million VND.

In the Bay Nui region, Mount Cam (spanning the communes of Nui Cam, An Cu, and Chi Lang) is one of the areas with the largest mulberry cultivation area. In the early days of the rainy season, the harvesting atmosphere in the orchards is much more bustling. Mr. Tran Hoang Anh, residing in Vo Dau hamlet, said that previously, only wild mulberry varieties were grown on Mount Cam, brought down by locals. Later, to improve productivity and quality, people brought in additional mulberry varieties from the lowlands for grafting and expanded the cultivation area.

Currently, Mount Cam boasts many varieties of mulberries, such as the green-skinned mulberry, green mulberry, Ha Chau mulberry, and bon bon mulberry. Among these, the green mulberry and bon bon mulberry are the most widely cultivated due to their high yield and harmonious sweet and sour taste, appealing to consumers. The green-skinned mulberry, however, remains highly sought after for its distinctive flavor, closely associated with this region.

More than just a refreshing summer fruit, strawberries also help many households in mountainous areas improve their income through intercropping with other fruit trees. Each strawberry season, the bustling activity of transporting baskets of juicy strawberries down the mountain has become a familiar part of daily life, contributing to the unique charm of the Bay Nui region.

DUC TOAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/mua-dau-xu-nui-a486084.html