Growing organic oranges, a sustainable development direction for Ha Tinh farmers

In recent years, orange growers in Ha Tinh have been shifting strongly to organic orange production, opening up a direction for green, sustainable agricultural development and enhancing the local orange brand.

The green orange gardens.

Ha Tinh province is famous as the "capital" of citrus fruits such as Canh oranges, Bu oranges, Phuc Trach grapefruits... In recent years, Ha Tinh people, especially in key orange growing areas such as Dong Loc, Vu Quang, Huong Son, Huong Do... are boldly converting and expanding the area of ​​organic oranges to increase value, affirm the brand and conquer demanding markets.

In Vu Quang commune, Mr. Doan Ngoc Bao's organic orange garden of more than 7 hectares is in harvest season. Without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, Mr. Bao only uses composted manure, fish protein and herbal solutions such as chili, garlic, wine, ginger to prevent pests. Thanks to that, the oranges have superior quality, are favored by customers in many provinces, and even though the selling price is up to 120,000 VND/kg, they are still "sold out".

"I chose a clean, sustainable approach, producing oranges using organic ecological methods. I absolutely do not use pesticides, limit the use of chemical fertilizers, and only use fermented manure, fish protein, soybeans, and herbal solutions to control pests and diseases," Mr. Bao said.

Orange orchards laden with fruit in Dong Loc commune.

In Dong Loc commune, there are currently over 500 hectares of orange orchards, and many households have boldly switched to organic farming. The conversion to organic orange farming has brought about clear improvements in yield, quality, and product value.

Ms. Duong Thi Mai's family is one of the exemplary households in Dong Loc commune that pioneered the application of completely organic orange cultivation. The biggest difference is the complete elimination of chemicals. Instead, they employ a meticulous, environmentally friendly care process.

“Previously, people mainly grew oranges and lemons in the traditional way instead of organically growing crispy oranges like today. Technically, switching from traditional to organic growing requires perseverance and meticulousness. Each orange tree is carefully cared for, from choosing fertilizers, water sources, and disease prevention methods, all steps must be carefully considered. But in return, the soil becomes more fertile, the trees become healthier, and produce fruit more consistently,” Ms. Mai shared.

People use tools to catch insects that harm orange trees.

Currently, Ms. Duong Thi Mai's family's orange farm has harvested an initial 2 tons. It is estimated that this season, Ms. Mai's family will achieve a production of over 40 tons of oranges, generating revenue of over 1.2 billion VND (a profit increase of over 30% compared to last year).

With high purchasing prices and output, many households in Dong Loc commune are converting or increasing the area of ​​crispy orange cultivation. Right at the beginning of this year's crop, many households have started to make crispy orange nursery beds, hired workers to plant new orange trees with the hope of continuing to win the next orange crop.

The shift to organic orange farming has yielded significant results in terms of yield, quality, and product value.

According to the “Organic Agriculture Development Project of Ha Tinh Province for the period 2024 - 2030”, Ha Tinh Province aims to have 2,500 hectares of organically grown land by 2030. The project is being implemented synchronously, with a clear roadmap, associated with changing awareness and changing farmers' production practices from traditional farming to ecological farming, friendly to the environment.

Nguyen Xuan Dieu, Head of the Economic Department of Dong Loc Commune, said that converting orange cultivation to organic cultivation brings about quality and yield for the fruit as well as meets the strict demands of the market. With high purchasing prices and output, many households in Dong Loc Commune are converting or increasing the area of ​​​​growing crispy oranges.

"To enhance value and ensure sustainable development, the government has been actively supporting households, especially cooperatives, in technical training and connecting them to markets for clean products," Mr. Dieu shared.

Ha Tinh province has nearly 44 hectares of oranges with valid organic certification and hundreds of hectares being cultivated organically, mainly concentrated in famous orange-growing areas such as Vu Quang, Mai Hoa, Thuong Duc, Dong Loc, Huong Do…

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/trong-cam-huu-co-huong-phat-trien-ben-vung-cua-nong-dan-ha-tinh-10392788.html