Mr. Son is preserving and developing the special "cam bu sen" orange variety.

Tri Lễ oranges, originating over 150 years ago in Sao Sa village, Hamlet 3, Khai Son commune, Anh Son district, are a renowned brand of the Tri Lễ region. They are known for their delicious, juicy, sweet, golden-yellow segments and distinctive aroma, ripening around the Lunar New Year, starting from the beginning of December and lasting until the end of January of the following year. (Origin of the tree)orangeAccording to accounts, in the early 20th century, the lotus-leafed mandarin orange tree was found in four households: Mr. Nguyen Canh Thinh, Mr. Pham Dac Chu, Mr. Pham Dac Khuong, and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Trang in Dinh hamlet, Tri Le village, Khai Son commune.

The orange trees were originally grown in the Nuong Dinh area (the alluvial land along the Lam River). In 1966, migrants moved to the new village (now Hamlet 2 and Hamlet 3), including three families: Mr. Pham Dac Chu, Mr. Pham Dac Khuong, and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Trang, who brought the "cam bu sen" orange variety with them. Subsequent generations continued to cultivate and maintain this variety to this day. Since then, local residents have propagated this orange variety through grafting and cultivation throughout Khai Son commune.

Currently, the authorities and departments of Anh Son district are gradually restoring and developing the "cam bu sen" orange variety to create sustainable value for a distinctive product of Anh Son district. Photo: Thai Hien

We had the opportunity to visit the fruit tree farming model of Mr. Le Huu Hai's family in Hamlet 9, Khai Son Commune, one of the households that has preserved the "cam bu sen" orange variety and has a large area of ​​cultivation in the locality.

Mr. Hai shared: Recognizing the value of the "cam bu sen" orange variety and taking advantage of his family's readily available hillside land, he preserved this tree species and currently has over 500 saplings, of which more than 300 are already producing fruit. Thanks to applying proper techniques, his family's orange orchard is usually harvested during the Lunar New Year, making it very convenient for sales. Last year during Tet, the "cam bu sen" orange orchard yielded over 6 tons of fruit, selling at 70,000 VND/kg, bringing Mr. Hai over 350 million VND.

For the family of Ms. Dau Thi Giang in Hamlet 9, Khai Son Commune, the main source of income in recent years has been their mandarin orange orchard. Ms. Giang shared: Currently, her family has invested in planting 400 mandarin orange trees on their entire land, of which 150 have started to bear fruit, while the rest are in the basic development stage. Every year before Tet (Lunar New Year), many customers come directly to the orchard to order these oranges to eat, offer to their ancestors, or give as gifts.

To ensure the sustainable development of their orange trees, Ms. Giang's family has thoroughly researched the cultivation process. They not only focus on caring for the trees to produce delicious, beautiful oranges of the highest quality for consumers, but also apply scientific and technical methods to cultivation from the beginning of the season. They proactively fertilize and find ways to delay ripening so the oranges can be sold precisely during Tet (Lunar New Year). Last year, the oranges brought Ms. Giang's family over 200 million VND in revenue.

Mr. Le Huu Hai, residing in Hamlet 9, Khai Son Commune, is one of the households that has preserved the "cam bu sen" orange variety and owns a large area of ​​it in the locality. Photo: Thai Hien

Ms. Thai Thi To, Chairwoman of the Farmers' Association of Khai Son commune (Anh Son district), said: Currently, there are nearly 10 hectares of mandarin orange trees in Khai Son commune, which are basically ready for harvest. Many of these trees are concentrated in the households of Mr. Pham Dac Ngoc in Hamlet 2; Mr. Le Huu Hai, Mr. Le Van Thanh, Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, and Ms. Dau Thi Giang in Hamlet 9; and Mr. Nguyen Huu Kim in Hamlet 7…

The characteristics of this lotus-shaped mandarin orange variety include better disease, drought, and waterlogging tolerance compared to other citrus fruits. The oranges ripen before, during, and after the Lunar New Year. When ripe, the fruit is red, yellow, or a combination of red and yellow. When peeled, 80-85% of the oranges have two segments (the smaller fruit at the top) resembling a lotus flower. The bright red segments are enclosed by capillaries and do not separate like some other mandarin orange varieties. The oranges have a rich, sweet flavor with a hint of sourness and saltiness; the segments are soft and firm, and the aroma is distinctive – once tasted, it will be unforgettable. The ripe fruit is not spongy at one end like other oranges. In recent years, the price has typically ranged from 60,000 to 80,000 VND/kg, contributing to increased income for farmers.

Khai Son commune held a ceremony to launch the professional association and cooperative for mandarin oranges and lotus seeds. Photo: Thai Hien.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa, Chairman of the Anh Son District Farmers' Association, said: Currently, the cultivation area of ​​the "cam bu sen" orange variety has expanded to 23 hectares in Khai Son commune, with an annual yield of over 260 tons and revenue of nearly 20 billion VND. To preserve the origin and gradually restore and develop the brand of "cam bu sen" oranges from Tri Le village, Anh Son district has recently coordinated with relevant provincial agencies to conduct field surveys to monitor, research, and evaluate the growth and development of the "cam bu sen" orange variety, aiming to better serve the propagation and expansion of the cultivation area.

The Anh Son District Agricultural Service Center has implemented a project to build a nursery for propagating Anh Son mandarin oranges, as part of the science and technology project for the period 2021-2023, at Mr. Nguyen Huu Kim's garden in Hamlet 7, Khai Son Commune, covering an area of ​​500 m².², of which 150 m is reserved²We planted 30 first-generation mandarin orange trees to use as grafting material for fruit tree growers throughout the district in the second year. The plan is to propagate 5,000 trees across 3 communes: Dinh Son, Khai Son, and Phuc Son, covering an area of ​​4 hectares.

In addition, the Farmers' Association of Khai Son commune has established a cooperative for growing mandarin oranges with 15 members, thereby creating a strong link in the process of selling, introducing, and promoting the product.