Resolving difficulties for Nghe An 'Heaven's Gate' plums
(Baonghean.vn) - For more than 20 years, the Tam Hoa plum tree from Bac Ha (Lao Cai) has taken root in Muong Long (Ky Son) and has become a specialty. However, in recent years, even though the plums are in full season, there are still no buyers.
Hunger Eradication Tree
About 50km from Muong Xen town on a mountain pass, Muong Long commune is located at an altitude of nearly 1,500m above sea level, with cool weather all year round and lush vegetation.Muong Longlong considered the “gateway to heaven” in the western region of Nghe An, formerly the “capital” of opium poppy. Today, Muong Long is considered the “kingdom” of three-flower plum, a plant that contributes to bringing a prosperous life to the ethnic people here.
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| Muong Long 2 village, Muong Long commune is one of the first three villages to plant three-flower plum. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
In the 90s of the last century, Muong Long was considered the "capital" of opium poppy with nearly 600 hectares of opium, the most in Ky Son district. In the spring, opium flowers bloomed profusely, but the life of the Mong people here was still in a deadlock. Drug addiction, along with the custom of shifting cultivation, nomadic life, and slash-and-burn farming, depleted the forests and made people's lives more precarious.
In 1996, the Party and State advocated the eradication of opium poppy. In Nghe An, Muong Long was the first place to implement this policy. By 1997, Muong Long had eradicated opium poppy and replaced it with poppy varieties.three-flower plumand seedless peaches.
“This was a time when the villagers’ lives were very difficult, because up to now, the Mong people only knew how to grow opium to sell for money, and plum trees only bore fruit after 4-5 years. In addition, the road to Muong Long was still difficult, so after planting, they did not know who to sell to. Therefore, the campaign to persuade people to remove opium plants and plant other crops took years to complete,” said Mr. Va No Vu - former Chairman of the People’s Committee of Muong Long commune.
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| The plum trees laden with fruit carry the mission of eliminating opium poppies and hunger for the people here. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
Trung Tam village, Muong Long 1 village, Muong Long 2 village participated in planting the first three-flower plum, with a total area of up to 23 hectares. With suitable soil conditions, after 4 years of planting, the plum trees flowered, set fruit and began to be harvested. Although the first season did not have many fruits, they were very sweet. Mong people in the villages picked them in baskets and brought them to Huoi Tu market, Muong Xen market to sell downstream, and buyers praised the deliciousness. In 2003, each plum tree harvested about 50 - 60 kg, the plum price was 2,000 VND/kg, and people were happy and excited.
In 2012, the asphalt road to Muong Long was completed, passenger buses ran from Vinh city to the commune center, one trip up and down every day. Traders drove trucks to the village to buy. The price of plums also increased since then, people were excited to expand the area. Up to now, the area of three-flower plums has been expanded to 65 hectares, along with peach trees, black chicken has become specialties of Muong Long.
"Sour" plum season
The season of three-flower plum in Muong Long commune starts from the beginning of May and lasts for more than 1 month. Every year, Muong Long commune supplies the market with about 50 tons of fruit. Muong Long plums are big, crunchy, sweet and grown completely naturally, without the use of pesticides, so they are loved by many people.
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| Every year, Muong Long commune supplies the market with about 50 tons of plums. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
In previous years, people from the lowlands drove cars to buy green plums at the garden. They still bought the green fruit, at 25,000 VND/kg, then 15,000 VND/kg. With more income, people were excited. In the commune, many households earned more money than farming thanks to growing plums. Mr. Ho Ba Re, a resident of Muong Long 2 village, planted 0.5 hectares of plums, harvested a ton of fruit every year, earning nearly 20 million VND.
However, this year due to unfavorable weather conditions, the plums are small. Along with that, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, plum consumption is facing many difficulties.
“Now it is June, in the middle of the season but there is no sign of traders coming to buy, they say that due to the Covid-19 epidemic, it is very difficult to transport. The villagers have lowered the price to 10,000 VND/kg but still cannot sell. Ripe plums fall all over the ground” - Mr. Re sadly said.
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| Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, plum consumption has encountered many difficulties. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
As for Mr. Va Ba Ly's house, the plum garden with hundreds of trees is ripening. What he hopes for most is a car from a private trader to come and buy. Even if it is a little cheaper, it is fine. Having to carry it to the market every day is not worth the effort, and he cannot carry all the fruit, which is up to nearly ten tons.
Along with Mr. Re and Mr. Ly's families, dozens of households in Muong Long 1 and Muong Long 2 villages are also extremely worried when the plum season is in full swing but they cannot sell. People said that partly because of the Covid epidemic, there are no buyers, partly because of the heavy rain, many trees have lost fruit, causing considerable damage.
“There are years when the harvest is bad, the price is good, and in years when the harvest is good, the price drops to 1,000 VND/kg and no one buys. However, this year the harvest is bad, the price has also dropped and there are no buyers. In a few days, the plums will be ripe and fall all over the garden!”
The three-flower plums here are completely dependent on outside traders so they are very unstable.
In addition to the loss of value and lack of buyers, in Muong Long, out of 65 hectares of plum trees, 23 hectares were planted in 1997 and 1998. After more than 20 years, the plum trees have aged and been affected by pests and diseases, resulting in a decrease in yield, smaller and more astringent fruits. The remaining areas, propagated locally by grafting or casting seeds, have also begun to degenerate. Yield and quality of fruit have decreased, traders have forced down prices, and many people want to destroy them or neglect them.
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| Tourists experience picking Tam Hoa plums at a garden in Muong Long. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
In recent years, thanks to the cool climate in the summer, the fog covering the winter, along with the hills of plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and fields of yellow canola flowers... Muong Long has become a favorite destination for many tourist groups. Many ideas based on plum trees to invest in building homestays and farmstays to serve tourists and increase income for local people are being surveyed for implementation. Preserving plum trees combined with tourism will be a new direction for the "hunger-eradicating tree" at the gateway to heaven in Ky Son district.
In recent days, to rescue Ky Son Tam Hoa plum, the Provincial Farmers' Association organized support for the consumption of Tam Hoa plum for farmers in Ky Son district by introducing and displaying products at the Nghe An Provincial Cultural - Information Center, with a selling price of 18,000 VND/kg.