Heartbreaking scene in the temperate fruit-growing region of Bac Ha after hailstorm.

The hailstorm in April 2026 caused severe damage to the temperate fruit-growing region of Bac Ha. 70% of the area was affected, with estimated losses of 70% of the value of the crops. Many households in Bac Ha commune shed tears as their crops, just before harvest, were struck by the natural disaster.

The three-flowered plum orchard of Mr. Sền Văn Dũng's family.

Leading us to visit his family's early-ripening plum orchard in Na Áng B village, Mr. Sền Văn Dũng sadly pointed out clusters of fruit riddled with scars and cracks caused by hailstorms. This fruit tree had brought his family a high income in previous years, but this year there is no hope. Mr. Dũng said: "Every year around this time, traders would come to the orchard to buy everything, but this year, seeing how bad the fruit is, they all shook their heads. I even took it to the market to sell, but because of its unattractive appearance, it's very difficult to sell."

The hailstorm left most of the plums bruised and damaged.

Mr. Sen Van Dung's family grows 200 Tam Hoa plum trees and 100 early-ripening Ta Van plum trees. If conditions are favorable, the Tam Hoa plums yield 40-50 million VND per year, while the early-ripening Ta Van plums yield around 50 million VND. The orchard could generate an income of 100 million VND per year. Mr. Dung also shared that this is the second time his family has suffered severe consequences from hailstorms. The first time was in 2013. With the current situation, it will be difficult for his family to earn even 10 million VND from the plums this year.

The family of Ms. Vang Thi Thin (Na Ang B village) is in a similar situation. After a year of tending the trees, just as they were about to harvest, hailstorms caused significant damage. Ms. Thin's family planted 200 Tam Hoa plum trees and 50 early-ripening Ta Van plum trees. This area usually provides a stable income, but this year it's proving difficult. There are no buyers, and the trees are unsightly and hard to sell at the market. The economic loss is estimated at around 70%.

Early-ripening plum varieties are also affected.

The rain has also caused the complete loss of some peach orchards in Bac Ha that were nearing harvest. A typical example is the family of Ms. Giang Thi Duoi (Na Kim village) – a household that previously had a stable income from its garden tourism services. Every year, when peaches and plums were in season, Ms. Duoi's garden was always bustling with tourists visiting and experiencing the scenery. However, this year, her 100-tree peach orchard, once the pride of her family, is now deserted. While last year, this French peach orchard yielded 600 kg, bringing in 30 million VND, this season Ms. Duoi only harvested a meager 50 kg, selling for 1.5 million VND.

Without peaches, other fruit trees in the garden, such as plums and pears, were also damaged. Taking us to visit her pear orchard, which was in the process of bearing fruit, Mrs. Duoi sadly placed the unripe pears, bruised and misshapen by the hailstorm, in her palm and said: "With pears like these, no one will buy them. This year, we farmers have suffered heavy losses."

Large areas of pear trees were affected by hailstorms.

As is customary every year, the traditional horse racing event in Bac Ha usually takes place during the peak harvest season of Tam Hoa plums. This is considered an opportunity for the locality to promote its brand and boost the consumption of specialty agricultural products. However, in 2026, unusual hailstorms caused a serious drop in Tam Hoa plum production; the appearance and quality of the fruit were also inferior to previous years, causing farmers to face significant economic losses.

Bac Ha commune has a total area of ​​temperate fruit trees reaching 626 hectares. This includes 300 hectares of Tam Hoa plums, 56 hectares of early-ripening Ta Van plums, 20 hectares of local Ta Van plums, 250 hectares of VH6 pears, and a small area planted with peaches. The temperate fruit tree area is concentrated in several villages such as Na Ang B, Na Ang A, Na Kim, Na Pac Ngam, Na Kheo, Na Lo... The total area damaged by hailstorms is 268.7 hectares, of which 227.98 hectares suffered over 70% damage; and 40.72 hectares suffered 30-70% damage. The estimated value of the damage is over 25 billion VND.

Many pears cracked open after the hailstorm.

Trước tình hình thiên tai, xã Bắc Hà đã triển khai một số giải pháp hỗ trợ các hộ dân bị thiệt hại. Ông Cao Thế Đại - Trưởng phòng Kinh tế xã Bắc Hà cho biết: Sau khi thiên tai xảy ra, UBND xã giao cho phòng Kinh tế chủ trì phối hợp với các cơ quan liên quan, các thôn bản rà soát, thống kê phân loại diện tích sản xuất bị thiệt hại; tổng hợp báo cáo UBND tỉnh và các sở ngành xem xét hỗ trợ thiệt hại theo Nghị quyết 07/2025/NQ-HĐND ngày 16/10/2025 của HĐND tỉnh Lào Cai (UBND xã đã có Báo cáo, Tờ trình gửi UBND tỉnh, các sở ngành hiện nay đang thẩm định). UBND xã ban hành văn bản 401/UBND-KT ngày 22/04/2026 về tăng cường chỉ đạo sản xuất trước và sau mưa dông.

The Economic Department and the General Service Center of Bac Ha commune have guided people on solutions to restore production and implement pest and disease control measures immediately after the storm; cleaning orchards, collecting debris after the storm, pruning branches to create open canopies for quick drainage, avoiding waterlogging, supplementing nutrients (potassium, calcium), and bagging fruits to limit pests and diseases. At the same time, they have proactively secured seed sources to carry out replanting or replacement of damaged areas.

Thanks to timely solutions from all levels and sectors, farmers in Bac Ha commune are striving to overcome difficulties, find ways to sell their products, and minimize losses. The crop failure has not shaken the optimism and faith of the highland people in a new season with favorable weather.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/xot-xa-vung-cay-an-qua-on-doi-bac-ha-sau-mua-da-post899297.html