Nghe An farmers struggle to keep 'queen' pineapples cool

This year, Quynh Luu district people are excited about the pineapple crop and the good price. On the high hills of Tan Thang and Quynh Thang communes, people are in the pineapple harvest season. However, in recent days, the hot weather has caused some pineapple areas of people to be infected with worms, have red leaves, and die. Currently, people are focusing on disease prevention and especially heat protection for pineapple plants.

In the intense heat, Mr. Tran Ngoc Long in Quynh Thang commune (Quynh Luu) pumps water to cool down pineapples. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Tran Ngoc Long's family in Quynh Thang commune grows 4 sao of Queen pineapple, also known as "queen" pineapple. To protect the 4 sao of pineapple that are about to be harvested, his family invested about 40 million VND to buy a pump, generator and pipes to bring water for irrigation.

Mr. Long said that this year the weather is extremely hot, and the drought is expected to be more severe than previous years. If we do not focus on care and protection, the pineapple plants will easily get red leaves, wilt, dry leaf tips, and gradually kill the entire pineapple bush. The pineapple plant will have a much lower yield if it is sick. Currently, many pineapple growers have not implemented heat protection, but families are bold enough to invest to ensure productivity and value.

The entire pineapple area is sprayed with water to help the fruit grow. Photo: Viet Hung

“In areas where pineapples have been harvested but are not protected from the heat and well cared for, the sweetness and water content of the pineapples will decrease by 2-3 ounces per fruit compared to those that are watered regularly. In addition, when pineapples are well protected from the heat, the fruit will ripen evenly, be sweeter and the price will also be higher,” said Mr. Long.

At this point, pineapple prices are being purchased by traders at a high price of 6,000 - 7,000 VND/kg (1,000 - 2,000 VND higher than at the beginning of the season). With this price, pineapple growers earn about 100 million VND/ha.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa in Tan Thang commune (Quynh Luu) said that when the pineapple tree is developing fruit, if it is exposed to intense heat, the fruit will be scorched, stimulating ripening, so it is not effective. My family has nearly 1 hectare of pineapple that is ready to be harvested and is protected from the heat every day.

People draw water to irrigate and use leaves of the incense tree to cover the surface to protect the pineapple from the sun and prevent drought. Photo: Viet Hung

According to Ms. Hoa, to protect pineapples from the heat, her family collects and harvests the leaves of the incense tree from the people of Quynh Thang commune, cuts them off, and brings them back to cover the pineapple tops. With this method, people can protect the pineapple plants well and get high results, while the investment cost is not much.

Quynh Luu district and Hoang Mai town have more than 1,000 hectares of pineapple, with an average pineapple yield of 35 tons/ha, and in some places with good care, the yield is over 40 tons/ha. In recent years, thanks to the conversion of ineffective crops to pineapple cultivation, people have become well-off, with stable income from developing the garden economy./.