Nghe An: Traders flock to place orders for Dien pomelos.
(Baonghean.vn) - With just over a month until the Lunar New Year, many traders have already come to place orders for Dien pomelos in Anh Son district. According to pomelo growers, this year's favorable weather has resulted in more beautiful and higher-quality fruit than in previous years.
Around the end of December, the family of Ms. Le Thi Hue in Hamlet 3, Lang Son Commune, is busy welcoming traders who come to buy Dien pomelos. According to Ms. Hue, previously, on her nearly 2 sao (approximately 2,000 square meters) of garden land, she planted several types of fruit trees, but the economic efficiency was low.
In 2008, after learning about the economic value of the Dien pomelo tree, Ms. Hue invested in planting 40 trees. After focused care and the application of proper techniques, the pomelo orchard yielded a stable harvest. In 2016 alone, with a selling price of 15,000 - 20,000 VND per fruit, each tree generated an income of 1.5 - 2.5 million VND.
This year's Tet harvest, with 32 trees yielding 200 fruits each and 100 fruits each, means Mrs. Hue's family harvested approximately 3,000-4,000 fruits throughout the season. After deducting expenses, she earned over 40 million VND.
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| The pomelo orchards in Anh Son district are laden with fruit, which has turned a vibrant yellow. Photo: Thai Hien |
The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh in Hamlet 5, Cam Son Commune, is one of the pioneers in bringing Dien pomelo trees to be grown in Cam Son Commune. Currently, her family's pomelo orchard is laden with fruit, which is turning a bright yellow color and is plump and round.
Ms. Binh said that this pomelo orchard has more than 20 trees that have been yielding fruit for the past four years. From October to December is the peak season for Dien pomelos. Right from the beginning of the season, traders from Do Luong and Con Cuong districts come to place orders for the entire orchard. Dien pomelos can be preserved for a long time, and the more withered the fruit becomes, the sweeter it gets, so it is favored by many people. Moreover, consumer demand increases during the Tet holiday, so in recent years, pomelos have always fetched good prices.
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| Currently, the purchase price of Dien Anh Son pomelos at the orchard ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 VND per fruit. Photo: Thai Hien |
Currently in Anh Son district, Dien pomelos are highly sought after in the market due to their quality, which is comparable to Dien pomelos from Hanoi. The entire district has over 40 hectares of land planted with various types of pomelos, with Dien pomelos being grown extensively in the communes of Cam Son, Dinh Son, Hung Son, Vinh Son, and Lang Son.
Recognizing that the Dien pomelo variety is well-suited to the local soil conditions, many localities have encouraged farmers to utilize suitable land areas to cultivate pomelos commercially. A prime example is Lang Son commune, which has established two cooperative groups for Dien pomelo cultivation, each comprising 10 households, to share and learn from each other's experiences. As a result, over 40 households in Lang Son commune now participate in cultivation, covering nearly 5 hectares, with nearly 10 households earning an annual income of 30-50 million VND.
To ensure high yields from Dien pomelo cultivation, the Anh Son District Farmers' Association has intensified its efforts in disseminating information and mobilizing officials and members to develop concentrated commercial cultivation models; coordinating with relevant agencies to organize training courses guiding farmers on planting and caring for pomelo trees. Simultaneously, it has facilitated access to loans from the farmers' support fund for members to help them increase their local income.