Con Cuong early oranges are in season for harvest.

These days,Con Cuong orangesThe harvest season is beginning. The early-harvested orange variety is the BH orange, also known as the cool orange. The current price of early-season oranges sold at the orchard ranges from only 8,000 to 10,000 VND/kg.

Orange orchards in Con Cuong district are beginning their harvest season. Photo: Bao Han.

Mr. Vi Van Thin's family in Tan Huong village, Yen Khe commune, owns over 1 hectare of land planted with oranges. On this land, his family has invested in planting nearly 300 orange trees for commercial purposes, mainly early-ripening varieties such as Van Du and BH oranges. Mr. Thin said: "My family has a long tradition of growing oranges. From initially planting only 200 trees, we have now expanded to 600. In years with good harvests and high prices, the family has a significant income, and orange trees have become the main crop for our family. However, this year, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the early-ripening oranges are ready for harvest but there are no buyers, and prices are low. While last year the price at the orchard was 15,000 - 20,000 VND/kg, this year the wholesale price at the orchard is only 7,000 - 10,000 VND/kg. Because the price is so low, many orchard owners are reluctant to open their orchards to sell."

Oranges have been one of the main crops of Con Cuong district in recent years. Photo: Bao Han

Similarly, the orange orchard of Mr. Nguyen Duc Long's family in Trung Tin village, Yen Khe commune, has 250 trees, of which 150 are planted with the PH orange variety.

According to Mr. Long, the BH variety of orange is not picky about soil, the trees grow and develop quickly, have good disease resistance, high yield, few seeds, are juicy, and the harvest time is around September. This year, due to favorable weather, the oranges have fewer pests and diseases. Currently, his family has sold more than 1 ton of oranges from their orchard; however, the price is too low compared to previous years, selling at the orchard for 6,000 - 8,000 VND/kg, and there are no traders coming to buy them.

Oranges are mainly sold by small-scale vendors along the roadsides. Photo: Bao Han

Besides orange varieties like Van Du and Xa Doai with yellow flesh, in the last 5-6 years, many households have also planted the BH orange variety. In addition to local consumption, the main markets for Con Cuong oranges in previous years were Vinh City, Hanoi, and some other provinces.

Mr. Le Trung Loi - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Khe Commune (Con Cuong District)