High income from growing oranges

The orange orchard in Thai Hoa residential area, Thao Nguyen ward, is laden with ripe fruit.

Visiting the Bản Ôn Safe Fruit Cooperative, we found its members busily harvesting and packaging sweet oranges to fulfill customer orders. Looking at the plump, juicy oranges, the members' faces lit up with joy, as this season's harvest was bountiful and the prices were good. These sweet fruits are the result of the cooperative members' hard work in actively applying technology to production; focusing on VietGAP-certified production processes to create clean products, enhancing their reputation and expanding their market.

Mr. Chu Quang Tao, Director of the Safe Fruit Cooperative in On village, Thai Hoa residential area, is tending to his sweet orange trees.

Sharing his methods for cultivating high-quality oranges, Mr. Chu Quang Tao, Director of the Ban On Safe Fruit Cooperative in Thai Hoa residential area, said: Currently, the cooperative has 18 members, cultivating over 36 hectares, of which 20 hectares are planted with varieties such as sweet oranges, Vinh oranges, and Navel oranges. Orange trees require meticulous care. Therefore, members regularly visit the orchards, prune branches to improve ventilation, apply organic fertilizer, girdle the trunks, and use biological pesticides to promote healthy growth and minimize pests and diseases. In particular, the cooperative applies a specific nutrient formula for each orange tree, consisting of 4 kg of corn and 6 kg of soybeans. Although the investment cost is quite high, this method ensures consistent quality, sweet fruit, a refreshing taste, attractive appearance, and safety for consumers. It is expected that this year's orange harvest will yield over 500 tons, generating revenue exceeding 10 billion VND.

Farmers in Thai Hoa residential area are harvesting sweet oranges.

Leaving the Bản Ôn Safe Fruit Cooperative, we arrived at the orange orchard of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien's family and were impressed by the trees laden with ripe, golden-yellow oranges. To meet the large demand from traders, Mrs. Hien's family had to hire nearly 20 workers to harvest the fruit. Mrs. Hien said: "My family has more than 1 hectare of oranges. This year the weather wasn't favorable, but my orchard still yielded a good harvest, with good prices and high quality. This year I harvested nearly 30 tons of oranges, which traders came to buy directly from the orchard at an average price of 25,000 VND/kg."

The Thai Hoa residential area currently has 355 households with 1,468 residents. Previously, the economy was underdeveloped, and the people mainly cultivated short-term food crops such as corn and ginger, resulting in low incomes barely enough to cover family living expenses. Since switching to fruit tree cultivation on sloping land, including the planting of sweet oranges (specifically, the Đường Canh variety) since 2015, which produce sweet, thin-skinned fruit that is popular in the market and commands high prices, many households have expanded their planting area, generating billions of dong in income annually. The lives of the residents have gradually improved.

Mr. Pham Quang Lan, Party Secretary and Head of Thai Hoa residential group, said: To date, the area planted with oranges in the residential group has reached over 100 hectares, with harvests from November to the end of January, yielding 25-30 tons/ha. With proper investment and the application of techniques in planting and caring for orange trees, the lives of people in the residential group are becoming increasingly prosperous. Currently, orange growers in the residential group are continuing to expand their planting area according to VietGAP standards to improve productivity and the competitiveness of their products in the market.

Traders from Hung Yen province are buying Canh sweet oranges in Thai Hoa residential area.

The superior quality of the Canh oranges from Thai Hoa residential area is not only recognized by local people but has also conquered the most demanding markets. The harvest season lasts from November to the end of January, coinciding with the Lunar New Year, resulting in huge market demand. Traders from all provinces and cities flock to the orchards to place orders and purchase the oranges directly.

Mr. Le Manh Tuong, a trader from Hung Yen province, said: "I have purchased oranges from many localities in the northern provinces and cities, but the 'Duong Canh' oranges from Thai Hoa residential area, Thao Nguyen ward, have beautiful appearance and are very sweet, making them popular with people all over the country. Therefore, every orange harvest season, we come to buy them directly from the orchards at an average price ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 VND/kg."

Leveraging favorable climate and soil conditions, combined with modern farming practices and the application of high technology, has resulted in valuable agricultural products. Increased yields and stable prices are driving forces for the people of Thai Hoa to continue cultivating oranges. Farmers are expanding their cultivated area, improving product quality, adhering to safe production processes, building brands, and making sweet oranges a key crop, gradually achieving sustainable wealth.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/thu-nhap-cao-tu-trong-cam-zV701u4DR.html