Nghe An farmers 'cry' because the royal orange variety has lost fruit en masse after floods

These days, Mr. Nguyen Duc Quang, Phuong Son hamlet, communeNghi DienHe is busy cleaning the garden, picking up fallen oranges to throw away. Recently, his family expected to earn over 200 million VND from selling Xa Doai oranges during Tet, but now looking at the orange garden with only a few fruits left, he can't help but feel sad.

Xa Doai oranges fell all over the garden after the historic flood. Photo: QA

Mr. Quang said: “My family has 200 Xa Doai orange trees that are 5 years old and have only been harvested for 1 year. This year, the oranges have produced beautiful, even fruit, and many traders and people have come to order them. However, my family has not yet tasted the sweetness.floodsSuddenly, the whole orange garden was submerged in water. We had no time to react, and could only helplessly watch our hard work of the past year go down the drain…”.

Mr. Quang's orange garden has lost 70% of its fruit. Photo: QA

According to the reporter's observation, after the water receded, Mr. Quang's Xa Doai orange garden only had a few trees with fruit left, it is estimated that 80% of the fruit had fallen or rotted. The remaining ones are "living a slow life" on the tree trunks because due to waterlogging, the quality of the oranges has decreased. Currently, to keep the few remaining oranges, he has sprinkled lime powder underneath to remove the alum, and picked the yellowed fruits to keep them on the branches to prevent the spread to the other fruits.

Not only Mr. Quang but this is also the common situation of dozens of households growing Xa Doai oranges in Phuong Son hamlet - the area that grows the most of this orange variety in the commune.Nghi Dien.

Xa Doai oranges have the highest value now and must be used as fertilizer. Photo: QA

During the recent floods, the entire area of ​​Xa Doai orange trees was flooded, some places up to 1 meter deep. It is worth mentioning that the water receded very slowly, so the possibility of saving them was very low. Currently, on average, each orange growing household has lost 50-60% of their fruits, some households have almost lost everything. The whole village lost billions of dong after the recent floods.

Mr. Pham Dinh Vinh - Head of Phuong Son hamlet

According to the leader of Nghi Dien commune, the whole Nghi Dien commune currently has 16 hectares of Xa Doai oranges with over 10,000 trees. The orange area is very difficult to expand because this is a precious orange variety, depending a lot on the soil and natural conditions of the area. Besides, this orange variety requires meticulous and elaborate care, so not everyone can grow it. The recent floods have damaged more than half of the orange area. The locality has reported to the Nghi Loc District People's Committee to have a support plan for the people.

Some fruits have not fallen yet but are still rotten on the tree due to being waterlogged for too long. Photo: QA

According to the recommendations of the authorities, fruit trees, especially citrus trees, after floods need to supplement micronutrients for the garden by spraying some foliar fertilizers containing micronutrients. At the same time, people need to pay attention to prevent diseases after floods such as ulcers, root rot or yellow leaf and root rot that will occur if the garden does not have a good drainage system.

One important thing is that after the water recedes, people should limit walking in the garden because this causes the soil to become compacted, affecting the tree's root system and ability to recover after floods.

People cover the remaining fruit to limit pests and reduce the drop rate. Photo: QA

Xa Doai oranges were introduced to Vietnam about 150 years ago by a foreign missionary to Nghi Dien commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An to spread the religion. Due to their suitability to the soil, this orange variety has survived to this day. Xa Doai oranges are special because they only adapt to the geology, soil and microclimate in Xa Doai land, and are difficult to grow successfully in other lands. Xa Doai oranges are a special orange variety, famous in Nghe An. During Tet, each orange costs up to 100,000 VND, but it is still not enough to serve the market.