Concerns about the mango harvest for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Việt Nam•04/12/2023

At this time in previous years, farmers in Suoi Gieng commune, Ham Tan district, would be busy tending their mango orchards, producing clean, attractive, and high-quality products for the Tet market. However, this year is quiet because the mango trees are not flowering and bearing fruit, causing many orchard owners to worry.

The path winds through mango orchards; most of the mango trees in the orchards are bare of fruit, bearing only green shoots.

Suoi Gieng is one of the largest mango-growing areas in the province, with over 80 hectares, mainly planted with Taiwanese mango varieties. For many years, this mango-growing region has always been sought after by consumers and traders, especially during the Lunar New Year, due to its delicious, sweet, and distinctive quality. However, this year, many mango orchard owners are worried that they will not have mangoes to sell for the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024, meaning a "lack" of traders and consumers coming to buy them.

Mr. Cai held a mango blossom with only its stem remaining.

Mr. Phan Van Cai, former head of Suoi Gieng village, who cultivates 4 hectares of Taiwanese and Cat mangoes, expressed his concern, saying he doesn't know if it's due to the weather or poor cultivation techniques and low-quality fertilizers and pesticides, but this year the mango trees are producing fewer flowers and fruits. "I cultivate 4 hectares, but only a few trees bear fruit, enough to sell during Tet (Lunar New Year)," he said.

Many other orchard owners in the village are also facing the same situation, worrying about not having mangoes to sell for Tet (Lunar New Year). In previous years, at this time, orchard owners would be busy tending their mango trees when the trees were laden with blossoms and fruit. They would be busy wrapping the fruit to create clean, beautiful, and high-quality products for the Tet market. But this year, the mango orchards are quiet everywhere. Mr. Nguyen Van Luy, head of Suoi Gieng village, said that this Tet, many mango growers in Suoi Gieng will not have mangoes to sell because every orchard has young shoots; some orchards have blossoms and fruit, but very few. At this time, any mango tree that blossoms is meant to bear fruit for sale after Tet, and any tree with fruit the size of a thumb is meant to be sold during Tet. Many orchard owners explain that the reason is the more erratic weather than in previous years, causing the trees not to flower as expected and to be attacked by pests; trees that do bloom only produce a few fruits or have bare flower stalks.

Mr. Phan Van Cai's mango orchard only has a few trees bearing fruit.

Previously, the Tan Duc Commune People's Committee established the Tan Duc Mango Cooperative in Suoi Gieng, cultivating approximately 23 hectares out of a total of 80 hectares of mangoes. In February 2023, this cooperative was granted a planting area code for export to South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. Currently, the Tan Duc Mango Cooperative is striving to achieve OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification for its local mangoes. However, members of the cooperative are currently cultivating off-season mangoes, harvesting before, during, and after the Gregorian New Year and Lunar New Year, so there are no products yet for export. Therefore, representatives of the Tan Duc Mango Cooperative and the local government are actively seeking opportunities for cooperation with domestic and export mango purchasing businesses, hoping to elevate the status of Tan Duc mangoes and increase income for dedicated farmers who cultivate clean, high-quality mangoes in the area.

The story of mangoes in Suoi Gieng experiencing both bumper harvests and plummeting prices, or high prices and poor harvests, is not unique to this region. It's a constant worry for farmers in many other fruit-growing areas over the years. And now, for various reasons, there's a risk of this recurring before the peak season at the end of the year and the Lunar New Year. However, with their experience in managing and caring for the trees, as well as producing high-quality fruit, mango growers in Suoi Gieng hope for good prices and profitability, allowing for a warmer and more prosperous Tet holiday, even with limited yields. Mr. Hoang Duc Ta – Vice Chairman of the Tan Duc Commune People's Committee – advises farmers to regularly implement disease prevention measures due to weather conditions, provide consistent tree care, and adhere to VietGAP production principles to build credibility and maintain the mango brand's strong market position. The commune is also aiming to build a storage and processing facility for agricultural products for the farmers...

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