The person who successfully built the Thien Son orange brand on rice-growing land.

Orange paradise

Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao next to his orange farm in Dong Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Visiting Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao's Xa Doai orange orchard in early December, tourists are truly overwhelmed by thousands of orange trees laden with ripe, golden fruit. Nearly 10,000 orange trees, some 15 years old, are lush with branches and leaves, planted in straight rows with convenient pathways for harvesting.

The workers harvesting oranges, who are local farmers, said that in the past, people in this area only knew how to grow corn, potatoes, and cassava, which yielded low incomes. Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao confided: "Although oranges are already flooding the market since November, my orange orchard only starts harvesting at the beginning of December. The Xa Doai orange variety with its golden flesh only becomes truly golden and intensely sweet when it reaches full ripeness."

Mr. Giáo calculated that in 15 years of growing oranges, he had 11 consecutive harvests. With the VietGAP-certified clean orange production process, the Thien Son orange brand has delighted consumers every time they taste it.

During the orange ripening season, customers flock in cars and motorbikes from all over to buy and transport oranges to various consumption areas. A large portion of these buyers have already placed orders by phone. Dozens of experienced harvesters are mobilized to meet the daily demand for tons of oranges.

Thanks to good care, the orange trees are laden with fruit, making them visually appealing. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Standing beside the heavily laden orange trees, Mr. Giao proudly stated that, thanks to the application of good cultivation techniques, none of the trees in his orchard have been affected by pests or diseases. On average, each orange tree yields 100 kg of fruit, with some trees producing up to 300 kg, worth around 10 million VND. This year's harvest is estimated at around 300 tons, and if multiplied by the average price of 30,000 VND/kg, the orchard would generate 9 billion VND in revenue. However, due to the specific needs of orange trees requiring meticulous care, significant investment costs are required, accounting for nearly 50% of revenue. Besides fertilizers and electricity for irrigation, there are also expenses for hiring laborers for weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, and guarding.

Cam Thien Son oranges from Yen Thanh are famous for their delicious sweetness, guaranteed quality, and reputation among consumers. Photo: Xuan Hoang

A journey of perseverance

When Yên Thành is mentioned, everyone immediately thinks of it as the rice granary of Nghệ An province. However, this land of "white rice and clear water" is now not only famous for its rice and scholarly achievements, but also for its Vinh oranges, a newly discovered specialty in the last 15 years, boasting a unique flavor bestowed upon this region by nature.

The owner of Thien Son orange farm shared: In 2001, after accidentally tasting oranges from Minh Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district), he was truly astonished by the delicious aroma and the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture of each segment, which was in no way inferior to the famous Xa Doai oranges. From then on, he quietly researched and experimented with the soil conditions in many places on the hillsides of Yen Thanh district.

In 2004, he found a suitable plot of land in Dong Trung hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, with an area of ​​18 hectares. What was special about this area was that it was surrounded by three hills, which the locals called the "Three Hills Valley." Having acquired the land, Mr. Giao knew that oranges were a "fussy" crop requiring technical expertise and experience to achieve high yields. Therefore, after improving the land, Mr. Giao went to Vinh, the orange capital in Quy Hop district, to learn about orange cultivation. By chance, Mr. Giao met Nguyen Huu Binh, the "king of oranges," who had over 35 years of experience growing oranges in Quy Hop. Enthusiastically invited by Mr. Giao to take charge of the technical aspects of planting and caring for the orange trees, Mr. Binh decided to transfer his entire orange acreage in Quy Hop to join Mr. Giao in developing a commercial orange farming area on the rice paddies of Yen Thanh.

Recalling this story, Mr. Nguyen Huu Binh shared: "With decades of experience and expertise in cultivating the 'fussy' orange tree, when I set foot in Dong Trung, I was certain this would be the future of a renowned orange orchard in Yen Thanh. Indeed, after just three years of concerted effort from many colleagues, a thriving orange orchard began bearing its first fruits, and the quality of the oranges was as excellent as predicted. Now, it can be confidently stated that Thien Son orange orchard is one of a kind in the rice-growing land of Yen Thanh."

During harvest season, Thien Son orange farm provides employment for dozens of workers. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Inspired by Mr. Giao's successful orange farm model, which generates high income in the area, people in Dong Thanh commune have learned orange cultivation techniques. Many households have invested in growing oranges in their home gardens and also earn high incomes. Mr. Giao and his colleagues have diligently guided the people, creating a collaborative orange farming community in the region that has brought the Yen Thanh orange brand to life.

Taking advantage of the favorable land and soil conditions, many hilly communes in Yen Thanh district, such as Minh Thanh, Dong Thanh, Kim Thanh, and Trung Thanh, now have hundreds of households growing oranges, covering an area of ​​over 130 hectares. The quality of Yen Thanh oranges is increasingly being recognized, yielding high economic returns.

Speaking about the strategy for developing the orange market, Mr. Giao said that in recent years, people in the districts have expanded the area of ​​commercial orange cultivation, which confirms that there will be competition between orange brands in Nghe An province and between farm owners. However, with the view that "Product quality creates brand," he believes that Xa Doai Yen Thanh oranges will establish their position in the market.

Building on the success of the "Thien Son orange" brand in Yen Thanh, Mr. Trinh Xuan Giao has invested in planting 60 hectares of Xa Doai oranges with golden flesh in Mon Son commune (Con Cuong district) in recent years, with the aim of establishing the "Thien Son orange" brand in Con Cuong.

Xuan Hoang