Quy Hop orange orchard now grows sugarcane and corn

Clip: Van Truong

Visiting the Vinh orange-growing region of Quy Hop district in late September, one no longer sees the orchards laden with fruit, but instead vast fields of sugarcane, corn, and other crops. Here and there, scattered remnants of neglected orange groves remain, overgrown with weeds, their fruit barely larger than lemons, and tasting sour.

bna_van truong 5.JPG — In Minh Hop commune (Quy Hop district), the orange-growing region now has only a few scattered, withered orchards remaining. Photo: Van Truong

Driving along the winding asphalt road to the sugarcane fields, we saw quite a few farmers weeding and tending to their sugarcane crops. Ms. Nguyen Lan, a resident of Minh Hop commune, pointed out to us the rolling hills that used to be vast orchards of oranges, but have now been transformed into hills planted with short-term crops such as sugarcane and biomass corn.

“If we continued to maintain the 2 hectares of orange orchard, the annual maintenance costs would amount to hundreds of millions of dong, not enough to recoup the investment. So, switching to sugarcane cultivation was the right direction, both to improve the soil and to generate additional income. Thanks to the introduction of new varieties and proper technical care, the sugarcane yielded high productivity, reaching over 85 tons/ha…,” Ms. Lan shared.

bna_van truong 1.JPG — Orange trees in Quy Hop are degenerating, with the fruit getting smaller and smaller. Photo: Van Truong

Besides sugarcane cultivation, people in the orange-growing region of Minh Hop commune also grow biomass corn, custard apples, tea, and other crops. A representative from Xuan Thanh Agricultural Company Limited stated: Previously, at its peak, the company had nearly 900 hectares of various types of oranges and tangerines. Due to increasing pest and disease problems and declining yields, the company has gradually switched to other crops.

Specifically, in 2021, the unit converted 192 hectares from oranges to sugarcane and corn, 350 hectares in 2022, and 199 hectares in 2023, for a total converted area of 712 hectares. Currently, there are still about 40 hectares of oranges and tangerines that people are continuing to convert. From 2022, the unit also boldly converted 4 hectares to experimental cultivation of high-yield PH8 tea. After 18 months of planting, this tea variety yields 10-12 tons of tea buds per hectare per year.

Some farmers in Minh Hop commune (Quy Hop district), known for its orange cultivation, shared their thoughts: "During these difficult times, when oranges are declining, the fact that corn and sugarcane are yielding stable harvests and having a steady market is excellent."

bna_van truong mnbv.jpeg — Farmers in Minh Hop commune are converting land from orange groves to sugarcane plantations. Photo: Phan Giang

Also in Minh Hop commune, the 3/2 Agricultural Joint Stock Company, which previously had over 750 hectares of oranges, has converted over 700 hectares to sugarcane cultivation since 2020. Thanks to the introduction of new varieties and the application of proper technical procedures, the sugarcane has achieved a relatively high yield of over 80 tons/ha.

Mr. Quan Vi Giang, Vice Chairman of the Quy Hop District People's Committee, said: At its peak, Quy Hop district had over 3,000 hectares of orange orchards. Due to orange tree degeneration, the area has been converted to sugarcane and corn cultivation, leaving only about 80 hectares of orange orchards. Most of these remaining orchards are of poor quality, and the district is directing people to switch to other crops.

bna_van truong 4.JPG — The orange-growing region of Quy Hop has also been converted to growing biomass corn. Photo: Van Truong

The conversion from orange cultivation to short-term crop cultivation aims to improve soil quality, eradicate pests and diseases, and potentially restore the orange growing area in about 4-5 years.

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