The uncertain future of hawthorn on Pha Din Pass

Many people in the Pha Din Pass area have cut down the hawthorn trees to plant other trees. Photo: Quang Dat

Pha Din Pass connects the two provinces of Dien Bien - Son La with an altitude of 1,648m above sea level, not only famous for its winding, cloudy roads but also known for its delicious hawthorn specialty. However, in recent years, many people have had to cut down the hawthorn trees because they no longer have economic value.

Ms. Vu Thi Thao - a resident of Long village, Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district said that this year the price of hawthorn has increased slightly compared to last year, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 VND/kg depending on the type of fruit. However, due to heavy rain, the output has decreased significantly.

This year's crabapples were affected by pests and heavy rains, resulting in low yields.

According to Ms. Thao, in Toa Tinh commune, in addition to her family, many other households have also decided to cut down part of their hawthorn groves to switch to growing other types of trees, hoping to have a more stable source of income.

“Previously, my family had more than 3 hectares of crab apple trees, but now we have cut down nearly half of the area to switch to growing coffee and pear trees,” said Ms. Thao.

The price of hawthorn on Pha Din Pass ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 VND/kg.

To consume hawthorn products, households have proactively sought new sales channels. In addition to selling directly at the garden and retailing, they also send hawthorn to the lowland provinces by bus. However, consumption is still very slow because the market is no longer fond of it.

According to the reporter's investigation, in the Pha Dinh Pass area, for many years now, people have gradually replaced the hawthorn trees and switched to growing coffee, macadamia or melon trees - plants that are considered specialties and bring a stable source of income for many people on the top of Pha Din Pass.

People face many difficulties in consuming products.

Ms. Sung Thi Nhia - Hang Tau village, Toa Tinh commune said that people here often intercrop cat melon with corn on the fields, making the most of the land area. Cat melon season usually lasts from June to September, bringing people a significant source of income.

According to Ms. Nhia, a cat melon usually weighs 0.8-1.5kg, some even weigh more than 2kg. The current retail price is about 10-20 thousand VND/kg depending on the type of fruit.

People on the top of Pha Din Pass sell products along the roadside.

Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Sung A Chu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Toa Tinh Commune, Tuan Giao District - said that in recent years, hawthorn trees have not been newly planted and many people have cut them down. In the commune, there are currently two types of trees that cover a large area: coffee (over 729 hectares) and macadamia (190 hectares).

“Although hawthorn trees do not require much care, it is very difficult to sell the products. Therefore, in just the past 2 years, the hawthorn tree area in the whole commune has decreased from 120ha to 84ha,” Mr. Chu added.

The number of customers is very sparse even though this is a busy street.

Also according to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Toa Tinh commune, in the coming time, the commune will continue to focus on directing the promotion of restructuring the agricultural sector, converting crop structure, in which macadamia and coffee trees are selected as key crops.

Source: https://laodong.vn/kinh-doanh/tuong-lai-mit-mo-cua-loai-son-tra-tren-dinh-deo-pha-din-1384505.ldo