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Economy

The specialty fruit from Thanh Chuong sells out quickly during hot weather.

Annam • July 7, 2024 12:55

These days, people in Thanh Chuong district (Nghe An province) are harvesting river fruit. This sour fruit sells quite well during hot weather.

bna_1(2).jpg — Mangosteen trees, belonging to the mangosteen family, are scattered throughout many districts in the province, but are quite concentrated in Thanh Chuong district, such as in Thanh My, Thanh Duc, Hanh Lam, and Phong Thinh communes. These are perennial woody trees that grow naturally in forests or are planted in gardens by local people. It takes 7-9 years from planting to fruiting. The mangosteen ripening season is from May to July. (Photo: Huy Thu)

bna_2..jpg — Harvesting sour river fruit is quite laborious because the trees are tall and have wide canopies; fruit pickers have to make makeshift supports (using bamboo poles tied to the trunk of the river fruit tree) or use ladders to climb the trees. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_3(2).jpg — Up in the trees, fruit pickers simply climb from branch to branch, using a pole with a net attached to pull up the fruit. They put the fruit they pick into a sack hanging on a branch, and when the sack is full, they gently lower it to the ground using a rope. Only those skilled in climbing and courageous enough can do this job of picking fruit from the river. Photo: Huy Thư

bna_4(2).jpg — The river fruit resembles a guava in shape, weighing from 0.3 kg to 1.2 kg, and turns yellow when ripe. Harvesting river fruit with a net has the advantage of being quick, easy, and preventing bruising, crushing, or breaking the fruit. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_5(2).jpg — When the river season arrives, households whose riverbanks bear fruit will either harvest and sell the fruit themselves or sell it directly from the trees to professional pickers. Each riverbank tree usually yields 3-5 quintals of fruit, with some trees producing 6-7 quintals, or even 1 ton. According to local residents, this year's riverbank harvest is not as bountiful as in previous years. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_6..jpg — During the river harvesting season, groups of river pickers are very active, usually working in groups of 2-5 people. Each person can pick 2-3 quintals of fruit per day. The river harvesting season also brings a good income to those who harvest river fruit. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (61 years old) from Thanh My commune (Thanh Chuong district) said: This river season, he bought about 40 trees. Every day, he and his wife have to actively go picking; if the fruit ripens too quickly, it will all fall and spoil. Each river tree is usually harvested multiple times, with the final harvest collecting both green and ripe fruit. Photo: Huy Thu

song 1 — After harvesting, the collectors sort the fruit: the good ones are sold immediately, while the bad ones (bruised, worm-eaten) are sliced and dried for sale as dried goods. Ms. Tran Thi Tam (68 years old) from Thanh My commune shared: Her family has nearly 30 rambutan trees, 14 of which have been bearing fruit for many years. Before, rambutan was cheap and nobody bought it, but now that the price is good, growing rambutan provides an income. Her family is small and cannot harvest the fruit themselves, so they have to sell the entire orchard. (Photo: Huy Thu)

During the hot days, households with ripe riverbanks are busy harvesting, slicing, and drying riverbank fruit. Mr. Nguyen Huu Lien's family in Thanh My commune has five riverbank trees that bear fruit; each season, they earn 7-8 million VND from selling both the fruit and dried riverbank fruit. (Photo: Huy Thu)

Ripe river fruit splits into many pieces with just a slight touch, as if it were cut. The pulp of the river fruit has a sweet and sour taste, similar to mangosteen. However, eating too much can cause intoxication. The sour flesh of the river fruit is used as a spice, in sour soups, and preserved in sugar or honey to make a refreshing and healthy drink. Local people say that if the sun is strong, thinly sliced river fruit will dry in the sun for 2-3 days. Photo: Huy Thu

According to locals, fresh river fruit costs 4,000-5,000 VND/kg, while sliced and dried river fruit sells for around 50,000 VND/kg. Currently, families who own river fruit, and groups specializing in harvesting it, are buying up everything they harvest. River fruit is selling quite well during these hot days. (Photo: Huy Thư)

Harvesting river water with a net. Video: Huy Thu

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The specialty fruit from Thanh Chuong sells out quickly during hot weather.

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