Hills of oranges on arid land

From the arid hillsides, Sen Ngoc Cooperative has transformed barren land into orange orchards laden with fruit. Each orange is the crystallization of soil, sweat and aspiration.

Clean agriculture and sustainable values

Sen Ngoc Cooperative has been cultivating gardens of oranges full of fruit, sweet and full of flavor. From the barren lands in the Northeastern mountainous region, farmers here have "transformed" the orange variety familiar in the Southwest into a new specialty of Bac Ninh , contributing to changing the lives and appearance of the mountainous rural areas.

Cam xoan is a variety of orange with thin skin, bright yellow flesh, rich sweetness and mild aroma. Previously, this fruit was almost only found in the Southwest region. When brought to Van Son commune for trial planting, few people expected that this tree would take root, grow well and produce outstanding yield. The cool climate, red clay soil and abundant water resources have created a unique orange flavor. People call it a "heavenly gift" for this difficult land.

The Sen Ngoc Cooperative's orange garden is laden with fruit, ready for harvest. Photo: Quan Dung.

Sen Ngoc Cooperative was born from the desire to enhance the value of the hometown's agricultural products. Previously, oranges in Van Son were grown on a small scale, fragmented, with uneven techniques and unstable output. When Sen Ngoc Cooperative was established, everything gradually changed. People were trained in care, fertilization, and pest control processes according to VietGAP standards; and were instructed on harvesting, processing, and packaging according to standards. From spontaneous production, farmers entered a systematic and organized chain.

Ms. Tran Thi Huyen, Director of Sen Ngoc Cooperative, shared: “At the beginning, everyone was worried because no one thought that the orange tree could adapt to the Northern climate. But I believe that if you take care of it properly, keep the soil clean, and the water clean, the oranges will be sweet and delicious, and reality has proven that.”

It is perseverance, creativity and belief in clean agriculture that has turned the “Sen Ngoc Orange” brand into a 3-star OCOP product of Bac Giang province (old) - an important milestone paving the way for a long-term development journey.

With an area of ​​over 10 hectares, this year the cooperative harvests about 50 to 60 tons. From November to February of the lunar calendar, the orange gardens turn bright yellow all over the hillsides, spreading a gentle fragrance. Each orange weighs about 250-300 grams, is juicy, has golden segments, is sweet and has few seeds. Oranges are harvested, classified, packaged on the spot, affixed with traceability labels and transported to supermarkets and clean agricultural product stores in and outside the province.

Ms. Tran Thi Huyen, Director of Sen Ngoc Cooperative, the first OCOP orange grower in Van Son commune. Photo: Quan Dung.

Not only stopping at crops, Sen Ngoc Cooperative also focuses on the "cleanliness" in each process. The entire area is cultivated in an organic direction using microbial fertilizers, biological products, saying no to chemical drugs. The garden is installed with a drip irrigation system to save water, taking advantage of agricultural by-products to compost organic fertilizer. "We consider the soil as a companion. Only when the soil is healthy will the plants be healthy, and the oranges will be sweet," Ms. Huyen confided.

Thanks to that, each harvest season, Sen Ngoc oranges not only conquer consumers by their natural delicious taste but also by their assured quality. Oranges are sold in the garden at an average price of 30 to 40 VND/kg. Each year, households earn hundreds of millions of VND in profit, and people's lives are significantly improved.

Aspiration to reach far

The success of Sen Ngoc Cooperative is not only measured by output or revenue, but also by the community value and solidarity that this model brings. Orange growers are no longer alone, but together exchange experiences, discuss ways to improve quality, protect the common brand, and only clean products with clear origin can stand firm in the market.

However, on the development journey, the cooperative still faces many difficulties. The problem of expanding the market, especially export, still has many obstacles. Deep processing to diversify products such as essential oils, orange jam, juice... has not been implemented due to lack of capital and technology. Moreover, most cooperative members are women and middle-aged people, so access to technology and digital transformation is still slow.

The VietGAP standard orange growing model brings high economic efficiency. Photo: Quan Dung.

Sen Ngoc Cooperative wishes to continue to support training and fostering to improve management capacity for staff, equip production and e-commerce skills for members. In addition, the Cooperative also recommends that local authorities provide additional support in infrastructure and transportation to improve production efficiency.

“On that journey, the trust of consumers is the most precious reward,” Ms. Huyen shared. From the first orange crops until now, Sen Ngoc oranges have been present in many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and even Ho Chi Minh City. On e-commerce platforms, Sen Ngoc oranges are highly appreciated for their flavor, natural sweetness, and preservation ability.

Not only contributing to increasing the value of local agricultural products, Sen Ngoc Cooperative is also gradually shaping a new production mindset for Van Son farmers, an agricultural mindset associated with science, market and environmental responsibility. This model is also inspiring many other cooperatives in the province to learn from, especially in the OCOP product development movement and building a new model rural area.

Sen Ngoc Cooperative has “transformed” the familiar orange variety in the Southwest region into a new specialty of Bac Ninh. Photo: Quan Dung.

Mr. Dam Van Lich, Head of the Economic Department of Van Son Commune, said: “The commune identifies fruit trees as the main crop, playing an important role in local economic development. Producing citrus fruit trees, including oranges, contributes to shifting the crop structure and restructuring the agricultural sector towards sustainability, increasing production value.”

According to Mr. Lich, Sen Ngoc orange product is one of the first OCOP products of the commune, clearly demonstrating the right direction in developing green, clean and sustainable agriculture. Over the years, the cooperative has persistently improved the soil, applied organic techniques, did not use herbicides, did not use chemical fertilizers, creating orange gardens full of fruit, naturally sweet and safe for consumers.

Van Son Commune is focusing on supporting the Cooperative to expand the planting area, promote the brand and build a stable consumption chain. Because for the people here, Sen Ngoc orange is not only an agricultural product, but also a symbol of the will, determination and aspiration of the highland farmers. When people produce with techniques and the product has a brand, the market will expand by itself and the value of "Sen Ngoc orange" will certainly reach even further.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nhung-doi-cam-xoan-tren-dat-kho-can-d782006.html