The man who brought Xa Doai oranges, a local specialty, to the world's dining tables.
Amidst the sun-drenched hills of Nghe An province, there is a man who quietly dedicates his life to nurturing, preserving, and promoting the renowned Xa Doai orange – once known as the "royal orange" of Nghe An. He is Trinh Xuan Giao, who transformed barren land into a model farm, building the Thien Son and Xa Doai orange brands, and contributing to bringing Vinh oranges to Japan and many other countries by air.
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Author:Pearl -Technique:Hong Toai• August 3, 2025
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Born and raised in Van Tu commune (formerly Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province), Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao was a soldier in the Ho Chi Minh Army. After working in various professions, he accumulated experience and knowledge in agriculture and harbored the dream of restoring the Vinh orange growing area, with Xa Doai oranges being a precious variety of Nghe An province renowned from ancient times to the present. Legend says that the French brought the seeds to Xa Doai, and this orange variety, with its exquisite sweet and fragrant flavor, was once offered to the king.
Growing oranges requires significant capital and presents numerous challenges, especially given limited funds and machinery. Many at the time considered him "crazy" for deciding to clear vast acacia forests to plant oranges on the barren land of the former Dong Thanh commune. But with unwavering determination and strategic vision, he recognized the global preference for safe, natural food with traceable origins. He persevered on his journey, nurturing a culinary gem of his homeland.
The pickup truck traveled nearly 150km to the border area of Mon Son commune (formerly Con Cuong district), a commune bordering Vietnam and Laos. The mountainous road, with its steep slopes and winding paths, took him six months to clear and level to reach the farm where he planned to invest. After two years of land reclamation, leveling the ground, and building infrastructure to allow machinery access, then planting and hoping for new beginnings from the green shoots, the 60-hectare orange farm finally came into existence. From here, he and his family spend their days and nights tending to the oranges, guarding and monitoring their growth, and watering this finicky crop in the remote mountainous region. He spent a lot of time researching and evaluating the limestone soil of Mon Son, surrounded by mountains, with clean air, and near the Bai Phu Agricultural Farm which once produced excellent oranges. Bringing oranges here is also a way to rotate crops, as the farms in his hometown have gradually deteriorated. Not content with just growing oranges, Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao determined from the outset: He had to create a sustainable agricultural brand for Nghe An province. Between 2017 and 2020, some orange orchards in Nghe An experienced fruit rot and premature dropping. Thousands of hectares of Vinh oranges suffered from poor quality seedlings and disease, damaging the Vinh orange brand and resulting in hundreds of tons of oranges being discarded. Many farmers cut down their orange trees, plunging Vinh oranges into ruin. This heartbreaking situation further strengthened his resolve to build standard orange farms, just as he had done before, to demonstrate a new approach, a systematic and precise investment strategy starting from origin and traceability. With the motto "farming like doing science," and treating his trees like his own children, he applied the VietGAP standard for clean orange cultivation, then gradually upgraded to GlobalGAP – the most stringent international standard for agricultural products that can be exported worldwide.
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Each orange is the culmination of the earth, the sky, and the human heart. We not only harvest the fruit, but also nurture what we have taken – so that the earth does not tire, the trees do not wither, and there will still be a sweet harvest in the future.”
Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao
On November 24, 2020, the Thien Son orange farm received the joyful news of officially being granted GlobalGAP certification – becoming the first orange farm in Nghe An to meet global export standards. This was a historic milestone not only for him, but also for the local agricultural sector. Thien Son oranges are now proudly displayed in major domestic supermarkets such as AEON and Winmart, and are gradually conquering demanding markets such as Japan, Germany, and South Korea…
What sets Thien Son oranges apart is not just the precious variety, but also the modern farming mindset of someone with extensive travel and knowledge. Mr. Giao has invested systematically in everything from soil improvement and drainage ditches to selecting superior varieties, controlling pests and diseases using biological methods, and absolutely avoiding the use of harmful chemicals. Biological traps are hung on each orange tree, and during the flowering season, regular checks and monitoring of flower numbers and pest control are carried out. Fertilizers are also carefully selected, prioritizing imported salmon nitrogen fertilizer, biological products from Japan, and applying microbial technology to help the trees absorb nutrients optimally while ensuring absolute safety for consumers. He invested in a drip irrigation system that automatically monitors moisture and nutrients, gently delivering water to each root, nourishing the fruit gradually so that the oranges are neither too large nor too sweet. Each orange tree at the farm can yield 70 kg of fruit, achieving a high yield rate, with thin skin, juicy segments, and the characteristic sweet and refreshing taste of Xa Doai oranges.
The fruits of their labor have not disappointed them. In just three years, Thien Son orange farm has been able to harvest hundreds of tons of oranges each season, selling at 50,000 VND per kilogram, generating tens of billions of VND in revenue annually. In the 2022 season alone, his farm achieved revenue of over 18 billion VND, a dream farm for any farmer. In 2023-2024, due to farming entirely using organic methods, the yield was lower, but the selling price was higher. On Mr. Giao's farm, it takes hours for a car to drive through, the air is cool and fresh from the high mountains, the sound of plows and harvesting machines hums, and the figures of people tending and harvesting can be seen through the foliage. From these large orange farms, Mr. Giao and his wife have also created jobs for dozens of local laborers, providing them with employment and broadening their horizons on a modern farming method, from caring for the trees to operating machinery, pruning, and harvesting the fruit. Even after harvesting, oranges cannot be stored for long; they must be transported to customers while still fresh.
As a businessman, he frequently traveled on Vietnam Airlines flights, noticing that the airline often featured seasonal Vietnamese fruits alongside their meal menus. He thought of his Vinh orange farm, of the specialty of his hometown in Nghe An province. His heart fluttered at the thought that one day, the oranges he had cultivated himself would be present on every flight – carrying with them pride and deep love for his homeland. He didn't let this thought remain just a thought; after landing, he couldn't sleep. The product was there, but how to meet quality standards, gain trust, and be chosen by customers made him even more determined to implement his clean production methods. He began researching each step to realize his dream of bringing Vinh oranges onto flights. He meticulously studied every document and requirement, patiently following the strict procedures. He even went to the Vietnam Airlines Corporation, knocking on the doors of every department, with a simple yet burning desire: to enjoy his hometown's specialty once in the air, filled with pride. It's hard to recount the entire journey, but ultimately, his orange farm was chosen. A delegation from Vietnam Airlines visited the farm to conduct a direct survey and assess the cultivation process. They wanted to see for themselves and be certain that those sweet, wholesome oranges were truly clean and safe for passengers. And then, after a rigorous inspection process, Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao's Vinh oranges were officially approved to be carried on Vietnam Airlines flights – bringing with them the beloved flavor of Nghe An province. Many times, from the simple introduction on the menu, he received phone calls from overseas Vietnamese inquiring about his well-being and congratulating him. His happiness just overflowed…
His oranges were selected to be included in the meals of international airlines – a high-class form of promotion that helps foreign consumers learn about a fruit with Vietnamese identity. Promoting Vietnamese agricultural products to the world through real-life examples like this is truly a clever way to introduce them. This is not only a "greeting that goes above and beyond," but also an opportunity to tell the story of the land, the people, and the farming traditions of Vietnam. When agricultural products are present in luxurious and symbolic spaces, their value is elevated, arousing interest from international consumers and tourists. This cultural experience helps Vietnamese products transcend conventional commercial boundaries, touching on emotions and national pride.
But that's not all; Mr. Giao also personally traveled to Japan, Germany, and South Korea to meet partners, introduce his products, and bring the renowned oranges from his hometown to prestigious trade fairs and exhibitions. Since 2021, Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao's Thien Son oranges have officially been available in the AEON retail system in Japan – a place with strict standards down to the smallest detail. In addition to his familiar daily work in the orange orchards, he is also proactively researching ways to further process orange products, extending the agricultural product's lifecycle. Orange peels are being researched for the production of essential oils and natural dishwashing liquid; cold-pressed orange juice is bottled for the high-end market; and orange powder is used in the food and cosmetics industries. The dream of building a large factory to process orange products remains a distant aspiration for him.
In this era of globalization, where many traditional brands are gradually fading away, Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao is one of the guardians of the essence of Xa Doai oranges. Besides the original orange trees of the villagers, he has also established a Xa Doai orange orchard next to the old orange-growing village to monitor and preserve these precious varieties. Having met him many times, behind his simple and unassuming demeanor lies a grand vision, a strong determination, and a passionate heart for his homeland's agricultural products. From a humble farmer, he has become a typical role model for the modern generation of farmers – knowing how to combine his abilities with science and technology and produce along the value chain; within him, a genuine scientist has emerged.
Trinh Xuan Giao is not just an orange grower – he is a symbol of pioneering spirit, daring to think and daring to change. He chose the path of genuine, clean production with the desire to bring wholesome nutrients to consumers. From the barren land of ethnic minority communities, he built a model farm, creating the renowned Thien Son orange brand – where oranges not only spread the flavor of Nghe An but also reach the world. From an orange variety that seemed to be dying out, he revived and enhanced its value, taking oranges across the ocean and enriching the position of Vietnamese agricultural products on the world map.
The man, who spent his entire life surrounded by the fragrance of oranges, diligently traced the footsteps of his father, the pioneer who brought this precious orange variety to Nghe An province. He quietly continued this journey of preserving this "treasure" of the land in the agricultural sector. These oranges, imbued with the scent of sunshine and wind, through each season and each flight, touch the hearts of those who have left their homeland – especially those who, on some journey across the vast sky.
