Ta Tong in plum season

One weekend in May, from the center of Muong Te district, we traveled nearly 50km to Ta Tong commune to visit and experience plum picking in the garden. Traveling along the road from the center of the commune to the villages, many Mong people transported plums to sell next to grocery stores. The members of the group were extremely impressed and delighted with the large plum gardens, heavy with large, even fruits, shiny skin, covered with white powder, crispy to eat, sweet and sour taste.
Met Ms. Ly Khanh Ly (Ka Lang commune, Muong Te district) who was choosing ripe plums and leisurely enjoying them. Ms. Ly shared: “Introduced by friends, I went to Ta Tong village of Ta Tong commune to pick plums and check-in. The plums are very delicious, mainly sweet and crunchy. I will buy them as gifts for my family and friends to enjoy.”
Talking to us, Comrade Sung A Xa - Vice Chairman of Ta Tong Commune People's Committee said: "In recent years, many households in the commune have planted and taken good care of plum areas. From applying techniques in planting, fertilizing to harvesting, plum trees have increased productivity and fruit quality year by year, and are favored by customers. People have also increased promotion and product introduction, proactively sought out consumption markets, bringing in stable income."
With the characteristics of a highland commune, the cold climate is very suitable for growing fruit trees such as plums, peaches, crab apples, etc. Exploiting that potential and advantage, many people in Ta Tong commune invested in growing plums and Ta Tong became the locality with the largest plum acreage in the district. Currently, the whole commune has nearly 20 hectares of plums, concentrated in the villages of Ta Tong and Cao Chai; many households have an income of 40 - 60 million VND/crop.

People of Ta Tong village (Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district) harvest Tam Hoa plums.

Typically, Mr. Sung Va Co's family in Ta Tong village has more than 200 plum trees planted since 2010. With proper care, the plum garden brings high income in all seasons. Mr. Co said: "I find the soil and climate here suitable for plum trees. Each season, my family clears the grass around the base, prunes the branches, fertilizes, and prevents pests and diseases, so the fruit has a beautiful appearance, is fragrant, crispy, and sweet, and the price at the garden is from 20 - 30 thousand VND/kg. This year's plum crop is expected to yield more than 3 tons of fruit."
Not far from Mr. Co's family garden, Mr. Sung Chu Va's plum garden is also in the peak harvest season with large, round clusters of fruit, promising to bring in high income. According to Mr. Va, his family has nearly 100 Tam Hoa plum trees that are over 10 years old. From mid-May to the end of June, the plums are harvested. On average, his family harvests over 1 ton of fruit each season.
With its cold-loving characteristics, the three-flower plum tree is suitable for the soil and climate in Ta Tong, especially it does not require much care, so it has taken root in the land here for many years, helping families earn more income and effectively change the crop structure. However, according to some people, after many years, the plum growing soil has become infertile, starting to show signs of degeneration, many trees have smaller and more sour fruits. Moreover, all the plums harvested every year are consumed but have not built a brand, mainly consumed in small quantities, tourists come to experience picking in the garden... Plum growers are eager to build an OCOP product as well as link the value chain, creating sustainable output. At the same time, the Party Committee and the commune government are interested in supporting capital, varieties and have a plan to improve plum varieties to expand the development of fruit trees with high efficiency.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/kinh-te/ta-tong-vao-mua-man-chin-738881