Actively care for coffee plants after harvest.

(Baonghean.vn) -Coffee plants typically lose a significant amount of their growth vigor after a year of bearing fruit, not to mention that the harvesting stage coincides with the flowering bud differentiation period. Therefore, after harvesting, coffee farmers in the Phu Quy region are actively tending to their plants, pruning and shaping the canopy.

It is known that in 2012-2013, coffee in the Phu Quy region suffered a crop failure and a drastic drop in price. Many coffee plantations yielded less than the harvest of hybrid acacia and eucalyptus trees. Mr. Pham Hong Minh from Phu Tan hamlet, Tay Hieu commune, said: "My family cultivates 1 hectare of coffee. Last year, we achieved over 15 tons/hectare, but this season we only got over 10 tons of fresh fruit/hectare. The crop failure is due to many reasons, including the aging coffee trees (over 10 years old) and drought affecting many areas. Especially, the price of coffee has plummeted this year. In previous years, it reached nearly 7.4 million VND/ton of fresh fruit, but now it's only 3.5 million VND/ton. This season, my family only earned 35 million VND from coffee."

Mr. Minh continued: "Although prices are low and we're incurring losses, my family is focusing on caring for the trees right now. After a year of bearing fruit, the trees are exhausted, so we need to provide them with timely nutrition. Along with applying fertilizers as prescribed, such as phosphorus to ensure flower bud differentiation, increasing the number of flowers and fruits, and potassium to increase fruit set and withstand unfavorable weather conditions, we are focusing on pruning and shaping the canopy, mainly removing suckers, fruit-bearing branches, old branches, stunted branches, and ineffective branches growing close to the ground."

Mr. Nguyen Duong in Tay Hieu, while weeding and pruning his coffee plants, shared his thoughts: "I cultivate 1 hectare of coffee. Last season, I harvested 22 tons, and with a price of 7,400 VND/kg for fresh fruit, I earned over 150 million VND. This season, the yield is only 8 tons, selling for nearly 30 million VND. It's a poor harvest this season, but I still have to work hard to take care of it. Who knows, maybe next season will be a big success."

The old Catimo coffee plants are in need of replanting.

Unlike other farmers, Duong focuses on applying manure combined with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. He applies the fertilizer in two stages: the first in February-March and the second in June-July. For some trees infested with borers, he cuts them down and digs them up at the roots. For trees with aphids, he sprays with Motox, and for stink bugs, he sprays with Cypemap 10EC.

Mr. Hoang Thuc, head of Phu Tan hamlet, added: "The current difficulty is the issue of irrigation water. The prolonged heatwave has caused severe drought in many coffee plantations, while the Phu Tan pumping system, which received tens of billions of dong in investment, is not functioning effectively. The reason is that the design is flawed; after construction, it cannot deliver water to the coffee plots. Not to mention that over 90% of the Catimo coffee area is old and needs funding for replanting. Because planting new coffee would be very costly."

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thien, Director of Tay Hieu I farm, further explained: For the 2013-2014 coffee crop, the farm facilitated farmers in purchasing fertilizers at the beginning of the season and paying at the end, worth over 2 billion VND. Regarding the Phu Tan pumping station, funds have been invested to upgrade and repair the water pipeline system, but the results have not been effective.

It is known that Nghe An Rubber and Coffee Company Limited has a total coffee area of ​​over 400 hectares. Export revenue from the 2012-2013 coffee crop only reached over 700,000 USD, a decrease in revenue due to crop failure and falling prices. Currently, farmers are actively caring for their coffee plants after harvest; over 400 hectares have been pruned and shaped, and the second round of fertilizer application is underway. The current issue is that most of the Catimo coffee plantations are over 10 years old, old and unproductive, requiring re-pruning.

According to Mr. Pham Hong Minh, it takes 5-6 years for a hectare of coffee trees to yield income if they are removed and replanted. While replanting allows the trees to continue bearing fruit, it requires an additional investment of 50-60 million VND per hectare, which his family cannot afford. Currently, the company has only replanted nearly 100 hectares; coffee growers urgently need investment from the State and the Nghe An Coffee and Rubber Company Limited to support replanting. The people also hope for investment in an efficient irrigation system to ensure adequate watering for the coffee plants, especially during the hot summer months.

Text and photos: Van Truong