Sweet and fragrant oranges from Bai Phu

(Baonghean) - Located at the foot of the limestone mountain range, the Bai Phu orange growing area in Dinh Son commune (Anh Son district) has long been famous for its delicious, sweet, and refreshing taste, favored by consumers. At one point, due to unfavorable weather conditions and the lack of advanced intensive farming techniques, oranges were replaced by other crops. However, in recent years, the local people have restored the orange growing area, reaffirming the reputation of Bai Phu oranges.

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The "reappearance" of Bai Phu oranges.

At this time, many households in Dinh Son commune are harvesting their first orange crop after more than four years of replanting. Despite unfavorable weather conditions this year, the yield of Bai Phu oranges remains quite high (25 tons/ha). Just beginning the harvest season, the price of oranges is reaching 30,000 - 40,000 VND/kg. Mr. Tran Van Ha's family in Thang Tam village invested in planting 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of oranges with over 250 trees, estimating a yield of about 4 tons this year. With a selling price at the orchard of around 35,000 VND/kg depending on quality, his family will earn over 150 million VND from this year's harvest. Mr. Ha, like many other orange-growing families, is delighted because in recent years, Bai Phu oranges have attracted many customers who come directly to the orchards to place orders.

Orange orchards in the Bai Phu area at the foot of the limestone mountains (Dinh Son commune - Anh Son district) are being expanded by local people. Photo: Nguyen Son

To ensure a successful harvest of sweet oranges, since 2012, with the aspirations of the local people and the support of the district, Dinh Son commune has implemented a project to restore the Bai Phu orange brand. Through this project, Dinh Son commune has supported people with loans exceeding 1 billion VND for investment and development; to date, the total orange growing area in the commune has reached nearly 60 hectares, of which about 40 hectares are producing fruit. Many areas yield high productivity, with estimated income exceeding 500 million VND per hectare. The Bai Phu orange specialty has established and continues to establish its brand in the market. This is a promising sign for the efforts of the people in this mountainous district to restore the Bai Phu orange brand.

The Dinh Son area, located beneath the limestone mountain range and bordering Yen Khe commune (Con Cuong district), was formerly the site of the famous Bai Phu Agricultural Farm, renowned for its high-quality oranges. Bai Phu oranges were not only known as a specialty of western Nghe An province, but were also exported to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the 1980s.

According to many families, growing oranges at the foot of limestone mountains results in delicious, high-quality oranges because the soil is less acidic due to rocks and soil washed down from the mountains; at the same time, the mountain range also helps to block out frost and wind for the oranges. Currently, Dinh Son commune has 106 households growing oranges. With the help of the district, the commune has developed a plan to expand orange cultivation to over 200 hectares by 2020.

Towards building a sustainable brand.

Cam Bai Phu truly leaves a lasting impression on everyone who tastes it, with its fragrant aroma, sweet and refreshing taste, soft segments, and minimal pith (the white layer of skin close to the segments). Therefore, most of the orange orchards here are highly sought after by discerning customers during harvest season. Many people travel directly to the orchards to place orders, and regular customers call the orchard owners to have their oranges shipped by passenger bus. When we visited the Dinh Son orange growing area, Ms. Dang Thi Nham in Thang Tam village was harvesting oranges to send to customers in Da Nang and Hanoi. Ms. Nham said that during the orange season, there are many orders; some people order up to half a ton of oranges. Customers in Vinh who order in the morning will receive their oranges by the afternoon.

Like Ms. Nham, all orange growers in Dinh Son are growing, caring for, and selling their own oranges. Many households even open kiosks to sell oranges to customers passing through National Highway 7. Because oranges are easy to sell, the Bai Phu orange growing area has not yet developed its own brand within the Vinh Orange Geographical Indication in general. Because of this, many small traders have taken advantage of the situation, mixing other types of oranges, including Chinese oranges, and selling them under the "name" of Bai Phu oranges to consumers.

Recognizing this risk, in its Orange Development Plan until 2020, Dinh Son commune considered registering the Bai Phu orange brand, thereby protecting the production area and increasing income for the people. According to Mr. Dinh Viet Hanh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Dinh Son commune, during the implementation process, the commune developed a plan to borrow 2.2 billion VND to support people in planting oranges, along with the people's own capital of over 5.2 billion VND, to plant an additional 60 hectares of oranges, bringing the total orange area in the commune to over 120 hectares by 2020. However, the issue is that the commune and orange growers are very eager for support from higher levels to build the Bai Phu orange brand for sustainable development.

Oranges from Bai Phu are harvested and sold to customers by local households. Photo: N. Son

Discussing the strategy for developing orange cultivation in the district, Mr. Nguyen Huu Sang, Chairman of the Anh Son District People's Committee, said: Based on surveys of soil and climate, the district has the potential to develop 300 hectares of orange orchards, mainly concentrated in Dinh Son commune and some neighboring areas, to create the Bai Phu orange brand. With the help of various levels and sectors, most orange growers in the district have gradually mastered the techniques of caring for orange trees. Assuming the cultivated area does not increase, the district will support people in building modern orange cultivation models, applying automatic drip irrigation systems from Israel and using high-quality orange varieties. The goal is to have approximately 100 hectares developed in this modern direction by 2020. Besides utilizing support mechanisms from higher levels (Decision No. 87/2014/QD-UBND dated November 17, 2014), the district will study integrating resources and developing appropriate support mechanisms for orange cultivation areas in the future.

Overall, the Bai Phu orange growing area in Anh Son is not as large as some other localities. However, with the advantages of land and the microclimate of the orange-growing region, it is creating a product that is making a mark on consumers. The challenge is that with the support of all levels and sectors, the orange growers themselves need to consider the need for strong cooperation in the process of planting, caring for, and consuming the product, so that Bai Phu oranges can maintain their reputation and bring sustainable economic value.

Reporters' Team