Yen Chau focuses on cultivating plum trees in the late-season plum growing area.

Yen Chau district has nearly 3,500 hectares, making it a major plum-growing area in the province, concentrated in several high-altitude border communes. At this time, orchard owners are focusing on caring for the plums during the fruiting period, flexibly applying technical measures and production experience to ensure high yields and quality.

Phiêng Khoài is considered the "capital" of late-season plums in Yên Châu. Plum trees were introduced here in the 1990s. Due to the suitable climate and soil, along with the application of scientific advancements in grafting techniques, the trees produce multiple flowering cycles, resulting in high yields and quality fruit. What sets Phiêng Khoài's late-season plums apart from those in other regions is that they are grown on limestone mountain ranges, enjoying a cool climate year-round. This helps the plums retain their natural sweetness, along with their vibrant red color and thick white bloom.

From just a few dozen hectares initially, Phiêng Khoài commune now boasts 2,500 hectares of plum orchards. In early 2025, plum growers in Phiêng Khoài received good news when the area was recognized as a high-tech application zone. Thanks to its stable economic value, plum cultivation has expanded, with farmers applying intensive farming methods, safe production processes, and varying harvesting times to meet market demands.

Members of the Northwest Organic Agriculture Cooperative are installing an irrigation system for their plum trees.

The Tay Bac Organic Agricultural Cooperative, located in Tam Thanh village, Phieng Khoai commune, has over 130 hectares of plum trees cultivated organically and according to VietGAP standards. Members of the cooperative always prioritize caring for the plum trees during the fruiting stage. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, the cooperative's director, shared: "This year, the weather has been generally favorable; every plum orchard has bloomed and borne fruit without any problems. If the weather continues to be favorable for another month, this year's harvest will be the best in several years. We anticipate the cooperative's plum production this year to reach over 1,000 tons, a 30% increase compared to the previous season."

The Northwest Organic Agricultural Cooperative has required its members to use electronic logbooks, manage production using a camera surveillance system in the orchards, adhere to safe plum cultivation and care techniques; fertilize and control pests and diseases at the right time, combined with the use of a water-saving irrigation system that automatically creates continuous moisture... as a result, the trees grow well and the fruit is uniform.

Farmers in Phiêng Khoài commune are harvesting off-season plums.

With improved farming techniques, in addition to caring for the main plum crop, many households in Phieng Khoai commune also employ technical measures to encourage early fruiting. Although the main plum season is still nearly two months away, the 5 hectares of plum trees belonging to Mr. Tran Quoc Huy's family in Kim Chung village, Phieng Khoai commune, are already ready for harvest. Mr. Huy said: To produce off-season fruit as desired, it's crucial to choose the right time. From November, his family started pruning, spraying with bud-inducing and flowering stimulants, and adhering to the correct fertilizer and watering regimens to ensure the trees bear fruit in February and are harvested throughout March and April. Off-season plums are easy to sell and fetch high prices, averaging 50,000-100,000 VND/kg. This season, his family harvested about 5 tons of off-season plums, earning approximately 500 million VND.

Farmers in Long Phieng commune cultivate plums using organic methods.

Meanwhile, in Long Phieng commune, farmers are actively tending to their plum trees and controlling pests and diseases. Mr. Luu Thanh Binh's family in Yen Thi village has over 1 hectare of plum trees. Immediately after harvesting, they prune old, weak branches from the previous season to improve air circulation and reduce pests and diseases. Instead of installing an underground irrigation system, they run irrigation hoses along the branches to facilitate weeding and fertilizing. They limit the use of chemical fertilizers, using only organic fertilizers and fish emulsion to supplement the trees' nutrition.

Mr. Binh said: Before the fruiting stage, the family cultivates the soil, fertilizes, and treats the soil with lime powder to eliminate microorganisms, while using some pesticides to control stem borers and sap-producing pests. After the fruit has set for a month, the family uses only well-rotted manure and organic fertilizer made from cornmeal and soybeans to fertilize the trees; they prune and remove substandard fruit, reducing the number of fruit per branch to provide better nutritional care, resulting in larger, higher-quality plums. After many years using this method, the plum orchard yields 30 tons per season, generating an income of over 400 million VND per year.

The plum growers installed the irrigation system directly on the tree trunks.

Currently, not only cooperatives but also most farmers in Yen Chau district have a firm grasp of the techniques and intensive cultivation processes for late-season plum trees. Learning from the previous season, this year, plum growers have proactively implemented early care measures, actively nurturing healthy trees, applying both mechanical methods and biological and organic products to encourage flowering and fruit setting. As a result, farmers have maintained healthy trees and improved cultivation efficiency. Currently, 90% of the late-season plum area in the district is growing well, with few pests and diseases, and a high fruit setting rate. This year's plum yield is predicted to be high, potentially reaching 20-25 tons/ha.

Officials in Chiềng On commune, Yên Châu district, are guiding local people on how to prune fruit to improve quality.

Mr. Vu Hai Yen, Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Yen Chau District, said: The department has guided people to closely monitor the weather and the development of crops to promptly handle any necessary issues. At the same time, it has promoted and supported households in implementing safe production processes, using appropriate fertilizers and pesticides according to the permitted list. In addition, it has selected suitable areas to apply staggered planting methods, helping crops develop well. To ensure the market for agricultural products, the department has developed a consumption plan and sought solutions to connect with businesses that will purchase the upcoming plum harvest. Furthermore, the department is supporting cooperatives in installing water-saving irrigation systems, designing packaging, and developing OCOP products to enhance value and maintain the brand of Yen Chau plums. The target is to reach 35,000 tons of plums by 2025.

With proactive care following proper technical procedures by plum growers, along with the attention of local authorities, it is hoped that this year's Yen Chau plum harvest will be high, continuing to be a major source of income for farmers in the area.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/yen-chau-cham-bon-vung-man-hau-lJTCtUoNg.html