Sweet and fragrant, the season of ripe fruits.

(GLO) - At this time, localities in the western region of Gia Lai are experiencing the sweetest season of ripe fruits. Durian, longan, rambutan, avocado, Thai jackfruit, Thai custard apple orchards... are successively entering the harvest season. Despite the heavy rains, the fruit trees are still yielding abundant harvests, bringing joy to the farmers.

The western region of Gia Lai currently has over 7,900 hectares of durian – a highly attractive specialty fruit. Of this, approximately 3,000 hectares are currently producing fruit with an estimated yield of 42,000 tons. Durian is renowned as one of Gia Lai's most popular specialties. Its rich sweetness, thick yellow flesh, and irresistible aroma have made this fruit a unique "brand" of the province.

Durian is one of the main crops in the western region of Gia Lai province. Photo: Ngoc Sang

Mr. Nguyen Van Thai's durian orchard (Hamlet 6, Chu Se Commune) covers 3 hectares and has 500 trees of various varieties: Ri 6, Musang King, and Monthong. Of these, 230 trees are currently in their harvesting season, while the rest are 4 years old. In the 2024 durian season, Mr. Thai's family harvested 20 tons of fruit, bringing in an income of approximately 2 billion VND.

In the Ia Krái area, over 100 hectares of rambutan trees have truly become the main crop, helping people to prosper and become wealthy. Ia Krái rambutan is not only sweet and crunchy but also yields high productivity; planting just 50 trees can bring in 70-100 million VND per season.

Mr. Nguyen Van Son (village 7, Ia Krai commune) is delighted because this year's rambutan harvest is bountiful and the prices are good. Photo: Ngoc Sang

Mr. Nguyen Van Son (village 7, Ia Krai commune) said: “My garden has 50 rambutan trees, with an average annual income of around 80-100 million VND. In general, rambutan trees here provide a stable source of income for the people.”

Thanks to fruit tree cultivation, many households in Kong Chro have risen out of poverty and are gradually becoming wealthy. A typical example is the family of Ms. Pham Thi Phuong (village 9, Kong Chro commune). In 2012, she converted 3.7 hectares of low-yielding mango and cashew trees to organic longan cultivation. As a result, her family's longan orchard not only yields high production but also ensures product quality, which is well-received by the market. Annually, the longan orchard brings her family over 600 million VND.

The longan orchard of Ms. Pham Thi Phuong's family (village 9, Kong Chro commune) is in harvest season. Photo: Ngoc Sang

Besides longan trees, Kong Chro is also famous for its Thai custard apple. The Thai custard apples grown in this area are not only fragrant, sweet, and visually appealing, but also weigh 3-5 times more than the common variety – the smallest fruit is about 0.3 kg, while the largest commonly weighs around 1.5 kg. This variety yields two harvests per year, in June and December (lunar calendar), with an average yield of 5 tons of fruit per hectare per harvest. The price at the farm is already 40,000 VND/kg. Thai custard apples grown here are praised by traders as "as delicious as any custard apple in the world ."

Furthermore, following the principle of "short-term gains to support long-term growth," instead of monoculture farming, many households have intercropped durian trees with other crops such as Thai jackfruit and avocado. In practice, this model has yielded many benefits, allowing farmers to capitalize on the advantages of their land, making the best use of irrigation water, nutrients, and fertilizers. Importantly, it helps stabilize farmers' incomes and reduces risks associated with fluctuating prices of certain agricultural products.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/ngot-thom-mua-qua-chin-post563776.html