Vinh orange specialty in harvest season

Orange gardens full of fruit

While large orange orchards in the districts of Quy Hop, Con Cuong, Tan Ky... are degenerating and must be cut down, many orange orchards in the districts of Nghi Loc, Anh Son, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong... are still full of fruit and are in harvest season.

Coming to Nghi Dien commune, Nghi Loc district in November, orange growers here seem to be busier. Entering the "year-round" season, everyone is busy taking care of the precious orange trees, the main source of income after a long year of investment and care.Orange Xa DoaiThis is the most expensive orange in the central provinces today.

According to local people, the origin of this orange variety comes from Europe, brought to the locality by the French to plant more than 100 years ago; it is an orange variety used to offer to kings, so it is also called "royal orange". Every year, Xa Doai oranges are sold for 70,000 VND/fruit, and there was a time when they were sold for 100,000 VND/fruit. The quantity of Xa Doai oranges on the market is not much, while the demand is high, so each season buyers have to order in advance to have oranges to enjoy. These orange trees have provided Nghi Dien people with a stable source of income for many years.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Phong - Chairman of Nghi Dien Commune Farmers' Association said: In Nghi Dien commune, there are currently dozens of households growing oranges, with an area of ​​about 30 hectares. The locality has selected 10 orange gardens as a model to build a standard NTM garden. These gardens are cared for according to organic standards, without the use of pesticides that affect the quality of the fruit as well as the environment. Xa Doai oranges are a valuable agricultural product, both creating a stable income and promoting the specialties and image of Nghi Loc land for many years.

Bai Phu orange area of ​​Anh Son district also had products in early November.Orange Vinhsold to the market. Ms. Le Thi Huong in Dinh Hop village, Dinh Son commune is one of the good orange growers in the "capital" of Bai Phu oranges. She said that her family's orange farm has more than 2 hectares, all the trees are healthy and bear more fruit than last year.

According to Ms. Huong, orange trees are extremely difficult to grow, so they require growers to be very patient and take care of them properly. To produce good quality and fruitful orange trees is a process of cultivation. Farmers must put in a lot of effort in order to hope for a bumper crop. This year, the fruit is generally more abundant than previous years, with a yield of 30 tons/ha. Since the beginning of November, oranges have turned yellow and are ready for harvest.

“This year, Vinh oranges in many places have degenerated, so the yield is lower than previous years, and the selling price will also be higher. Last year, the selling price at the garden was 40,000 - 45,000 VND/kg, and on the occasion of Lunar New Year, it increased to 50,000 VND/kg but still could not meet the demand. To protect their Vinh orange products, most of the oranges after harvest are labeled with traceability labels by the family,” Ms. Le Thi Huong shared.

Anh Son district has a long history of citrus development, especially orange trees planted in Bai Phu Farm area since the 70s and 80s, about 100 hectares. Realizing that orange trees have great economic efficiency, many farming households have planted them to restore the Bai Phu orange brand. In addition, orange trees have also been planted by families in some other localities in the district for a long time and continue to expand their area. Anh Son district People's Committee has been implementing the "Project to develop and expand the area of ​​fruit trees associated with the processing industry and consumption of products of Nghe An province" for the period 2021 - 2025. In particular, orange tree development is concentrated in the communes of Dinh Son, Cam Son, Hoi Son, Phuc Son, Khai Son...

Up to now, the total area of ​​orange trees in Anh Son district is 188.3 hectares, of which the area that has produced products is 160.8 hectares, the area of ​​orange trees in the construction phase is 27.5 hectares. Some localities have relatively large planting areas such as: Dinh Son, Phuc Son, Long Son, Khai Son, Tho Son...

The Xa Doai orange area, planted on the land of Dong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), has been harvested since early November. Mr. Truong Van Bien - owner of an orange farm in Dong Trung hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, said that although this year there are many pests, fruit flies, etc., with experience in pest control and proper care, it does not affect the productivity and quality of the product; the orange yield is expected to be higher than last year. By mid-November, some traders had placed orders, but because the oranges were not yet ripe, only nearly 500 kg were harvested.

Mr. Le Van Hong - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Thanh district said: The whole district currently has 135 hectares of oranges, of which 92 hectares are in the harvest stage. Yen Thanh district's oranges are grown the most in Dong Thanh commune, followed by Minh Thanh, Nam Thanh, Tien Thanh communes... "Yen Thanh oranges developed later, orange gardens are often planted at the foot of the hills, along with proper investment and care, so there is no sign of degeneration. The productivity and quality of oranges here are guaranteed, favored by the market", said Mr. Le Van Hong.

Con Cuong oranges have long been chosen by consumers. On this occasion, many orange farms have also entered the harvest season, providing customers with the most beautiful and delicious oranges. We have just received good news from Thien Son Orange Cooperative (Con Cuong), Vietnam Airlines has surveyed and signed a contract with the Cooperative to provide desserts on international flights from December 2023. This is a great opportunity for the specialty of Xa Doai oranges from Nghe An to reach further.

Worry about oranges of unknown origin

With delicious and special quality, from 2017 to 2019, 31 organizations and individuals in 11 districts were granted Certificates of ownership of geographical indications for Vinh oranges and affixed with electronic stamps.traceability, so it is trusted by the market. However, due to some Vinh orange areas being degraded for a long time, the area has decreased sharply.

According to the provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, at its peak, the area of ​​Vinh oranges was nearly 5,000 hectares, but currently, in the province there are only about 1,800 hectares left, concentrated in many places such as Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Yen Thanh... Many Vinh orange gardens are well cared for, bear fruit, and can yield about 25 tons/ha, with good quality.

According to our survey, currently, in Nghe An market, there are many different types of oranges sold at markets, kiosks, etc. Observation shows that there are many types of oranges that look similar to Vinh oranges. Faced with the matrix of oranges of unknown origin, consumers find it difficult to distinguish which are real Vinh oranges. This is also a common concern of consumers today, when the area of ​​Vinh oranges is not as large as before.

Ms. Thai Thi Hong Lien - Deputy Head of the Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality said that Vinh oranges have good quality and have been sold at high prices for a long time, which is natural and accepted by customers. However, due to the fact that Vinh orange output has decreased compared to before, while the demand for consumption is high, some traders have taken advantage of the situation by mixing oranges of unknown origin into the mix to sell to customers for profit. Because oranges grown in other places also have beautiful appearance, but the quality is far different from Vinh oranges, the selling price is low.

According to Ms. Lien, orange farms located in the Vinh orange geographical indication area, if meeting the prescribed standards, need to affix electronic traceability stamps before selling them to the market so that consumers can rest assured and not worry about buying oranges of unknown origin, while also protecting the product brand./.