As the floodwaters recede and the sun comes out, oranges and pomelos in Nghe An province are shedding their fruit in abundance.

The family of Mr. Phan Bá Thắng (Thanh Liên commune, Thanh Chương district) owns a 1-hectare farm specializing in growing pomelos, guavas, and jackfruit. During the recent major flood, the entire orchard was submerged. Currently, the sun is shining and the water is receding, but the pomelo trees are showing signs of wilting leaves and fruit drop; the guava trees along the banks and higher ground are also wilting.

Mr. Phan Bá Thắng said: “Currently, the water hasn't completely receded, so the trees haven't withered and not many fruits have fallen. In just a few days, if the sunny weather continues like this, there will probably be no fruit left on the trees.”

According to Mr. Thang, his entire grapefruit orchard consists of green-skinned grapefruits, which were expected to be harvested during Tet (Lunar New Year). However, many fruits have already fallen off, resulting in reduced yield and production, which will certainly lead to losses.

According to incomplete statistics, approximately 3.5 hectares of fruit trees belonging to 6 households in Thanh Lien commune were severely flooded during the recent floods. These mainly consist of pomelo trees (green-skinned pomelo and Dien pomelo) that were in the fruit-bearing stage; some were about to be harvested, while others would be ready for harvest during the Tet holiday.

Mr. Luu Cong Hiep, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Lien commune, said: "During the heavy rains following the remnants of typhoon No. 4 in 2022, fruit growers in Thanh Lien commune also suffered great losses due to flooding, grapefruit dropping off, and trees wilting."

This year, although the floodwaters receded early, the heavy and intense rains caused deep flooding. When the sun came out, the trees suffered from heat shock, fungal poisoning, and root suffocation, leading to massive fruit drop and significant losses for growers. Each tree is estimated to have 50 fruits, each selling for 18,000-20,000 VND on the market. For households with 300-400 trees or as few as 100, the losses amount to hundreds of millions of VND per household.”

During the recent floods, Anh Son district suffered the largest area of ​​fruit trees damaged in the province, approximately 50 hectares. This damage was mainly concentrated in Dinh Son commune, where orange trees were primarily affected. Initial surveys indicate that 50 out of 64 hectares of orange and pomelo trees were flooded, with 35 hectares experiencing severe flooding. Currently, as the water recedes and the weather turns hot, the oranges are wilting, turning yellow, and gradually falling off. Many oranges are lying fallen at the base of the trees, some turning yellow, others rotting in the flooded orchards...

Mr. Cao Phi Nhat, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dinh Son commune, said: "The fruit drop rate is about 40%. The area of ​​orange trees affected by root rot is about 19 hectares."

Not only were the oranges damaged by falling fruit, but households also suffered even greater losses from prolonged waterlogging, root suffocation, wilting, requiring time-consuming care, and affecting the yield and quality of oranges in subsequent seasons. Currently, orchard owners are clearing fallen fruit, treating the orchards, and focusing on caring for and restoring the orange trees.”

Mr. Xuyen Thanh, from Bai Phu village, Dinh Son commune, said: “The early-ripening oranges were expected to be harvested next month, while the late-ripening ones would be ready around Tet (Lunar New Year). However, this year, from the beginning of the season, we encountered unusual weather, the fruit setting rate decreased, and storms and flooding caused fruit to fall off. It's a total loss for the orange crop.”

According to preliminary statistics, the recent floods damaged over 100 hectares of fruit trees in the province, mainly oranges, pomelos, and guavas, with fruit drop rates ranging from 30-70%. It is predicted that from now until the end of the year, which is also the peak harvest season for fruit trees, especially citrus fruits, there will be frequent storms. Therefore, people need to pay attention to measures to protect fruit trees and minimize damage caused by storms.

Mr. Phan Thanh Tung - Head of the Crop Production Department, Provincial Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department, advises: After heavy rains and floods, growers need to dig ditches and trenches to drain water and avoid localized flooding in orchards. After the water recedes, it is necessary to cut off broken/severely damaged branches caused by rain and flooding; loosen the soil surface (in the canopy area) with a hoe (5-10 cm deep) to break up the crust, allowing the roots to absorb oxygen; after breaking up the crust, cover the base of the tree with straw or dry grass;

Applying root-stimulating fertilizer within the tree canopy's projection helps develop new fibrous roots; combining this with foliar fertilization enhances the tree's recovery; when the soil surface dries out, apply urea and potassium chloride at dosages depending on the tree type and age to stimulate the tree's recovery and new root growth.