The golden hue of early-season green tea

As Tet approaches, along National Highway 54 in Dong Thanh ward, roadside stalls begin displaying clusters of golden, fragrant star fruit. These ripe, early-season star fruits are quickly put on display, fetching a relatively high price but still selling well. Farmers and vendors are also busy preparing their supplies for the upcoming peak season.

In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), along National Highway 54 in Dong Thanh ward, roadside stalls begin to display clusters of golden, fragrant star fruit.

The first harvest of the season's ripe, golden star fruit is quickly being put on sale, fetching a relatively high price but still selling well. Farmers and traders are also busy preparing supplies for the upcoming peak season.

Early-season green tea is popular with many people. Photo: THAO TIEN

Thanh tra is a signature fruit of Dong Thanh region, popular for its eye-catching color and harmonious sweet and sour flavor. The fruit is similar in shape to a mango but smaller; when unripe, the skin is green, gradually turning golden yellow as it ripens, emitting a distinctive aroma.

These days, as the pomelo season begins, many stalls along National Highway 54 have started displaying the fruit. Retail prices currently range from 70,000 to 150,000 VND per kilogram, depending on size and freshness. Compared to many other fruits at the same time, this price is quite high; however, sales remain strong because it is a specialty fruit, bought by people to eat fresh, make jam, or display on the five-fruit platter during Tet (Lunar New Year).

According to many orchard owners, pomelos begin to be harvested before Tet (Lunar New Year), with the peak season around February and lasting until April. Because the harvest season is short, consumption is mainly concentrated within a short period, requiring orchard owners and traders to be proactive in purchasing and distributing the fruit.

Currently, there are two main types of pomelo: sour and sweet. Sour pomelo typically has round fruits, thin skin, a strong sour taste, and turns a deep orange color when ripe; while sweet pomelo has a more elongated shape, thicker skin, a fine powdery coating, and a subtly sweet taste. At the beginning of this year's harvest, mainly sour pomelo is available, while sweet pomelo is expected to be harvested in abundance in the near future.

With the increased demand for attractive gifts during Tet (Lunar New Year), gardeners are busy tending and harvesting to supply the market during and after Tet. Many households have also proactively linked up with traders early on to ensure stable sales during the peak season.

Mr. Huynh Van Cap, Director of Dong Thanh Sweet Pomelo Cooperative (Dong Thanh Ward), said: "Because 2025 has a leap month, the pomelos ripened right around Tet (Lunar New Year) this year. Thanks to favorable weather, this year's pomelos are large, beautiful, and the yield has increased by more than 30% compared to last year. With the current price of 150-160 thousand VND/kg, the farmers are very happy. Currently, my sweet pomelo orchard is bearing a lot of fruit and is almost ripe. I expect to harvest an early batch around the 28th-29th of Tet, and then harvest again around the 4th-5th of Tet. This season usually lasts until April 30th. Last year, I offered orchard tours, which were very popular. Visitors could enjoy sweet pomelos in the orchard, buy seedlings and fruit at preferential prices, and take pictures freely… This year I will continue to research to improve the service even better," Mr. Huynh Van Cap shared.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang (Dong Thanh ward), a trader who has been buying and selling pomelos for over 3 years: "At the beginning of the season, the yield is low. Every day I have to collect about 10-20 kg from many orchards. Around Tet (Lunar New Year), people buy quite a lot of pomelos to make jam or for offerings because the fruit has a beautiful color, a fragrant aroma, and looks very appealing."

According to Ms. Giang, the current purchase price of pomelo at the orchard is around 25-40 thousand VND/kg; at the beginning of the season about two weeks ago, the wholesale price was 45-50 thousand VND/kg, about 10 thousand VND/kg higher than the same period last year. When the first harvest appeared, the retail price sometimes reached 100-110 thousand VND/kg; it has now decreased slightly, commonly at 70-100 thousand VND/kg due to increased supply.

Not only traders, but many buyers who purchase the entire crop have also proactively prepared early. Mr. Nguyen Van The (Dong Thanh ward), who has been buying pomelos for many years, said: "This year, the yield in some orchards is quite good. On average, 2-3 acres can yield more than 1 ton of fruit. This year is a good harvest, and the selling price is not much different from last year, so the farmers are also happy."

According to Mr. The, only sour star fruit is currently being harvested, while sweet star fruit is still developing. To prepare for market demand, he has contacted orchards to pre-order a large quantity of sweet star fruit. It is expected that during the peak season, the retail price of sweet star fruit will remain at around 120-170 thousand VND/kg, similar to last year, as this variety is more popular with consumers.

According to orchard owners, after the Lunar New Year, the production of pomelo will increase rapidly, the supply will be more abundant, and the selling price may decrease slightly but will still remain stable. This is also the peak consumption period of the year, serving not only the market within the province but also supplying neighboring localities.

Although the pomelo season is short, it brings significant income to many households in Dong Thanh. Proactively preparing the supply, establishing sales channels, and improving fruit quality are helping pomelo growers gradually increase the value of this specialty fruit, while also contributing to the unique character of this region.

SONG THẢO

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/kinh-te/202602/sac-vang-thanh-tra-dau-mua-5fd0409/