Avocado orchards in Nghia Dan have bad harvest

Many avocado trees had their leaves burned due to the harsh weather. Photo: Duc Anh

If the 2017 avocado crop in Nghia Phu commune had high productivity and output, each hectare of avocado brought in over 200 million VND, this year most avocado growers in the locality failed.

Mr. Tran Hung Dao’s family in Phu Loc hamlet is the household with the largest avocado growing area in Nghia Phu commune, with 1 hectare of more than 200 avocado trees. Last crop, the avocado garden yielded an average of about 60 kg of fruit per tree. But this year, the highest yield was only 1/10 of last year.

The number of avocado trees that bear fruit and yield a harvest is very small. Photo: Duc Anh

Looking at the avocado garden with sparse fruit on the trees, Ms. Tran Thi Nga sadly said: This year's avocado trees are not productive, some trees do not bear fruit, some trees have sparse fruit, many trees have fruit that has not been harvested and has fallen; causing great damage.

Nghia Phu is the locality with the largest avocado growing area in Nghia Dan district with 30 hectares. Avocado trees are mostly intercropped with other fruit trees, only a few families grow concentrated areas of 0.5 - 1 hectare. Currently, about 10 hectares of avocado in the area have been harvested.

Many avocado orchards have experienced fruit drop. Photo: Duc Anh

Last season, many avocado growers in Nghia Phu had a good income from avocado trees. However, this year, the local avocado output and productivity have seriously decreased. Mr. Ho Huu Hoai - Vice Chairman of Nghia Phu Commune People's Committee said: Compared to the 2017 avocado crop, this year the avocado output and productivity of the people have decreased by about 80%.

According to Mr. Ho Huu Hoai, the reason for the avocado crop failure is that when it flowers, it rains heavily, making pollination and fruit setting impossible; when the fruit begins to ripen, it encounters a prolonged heat wave, causing a lot of it to fall off.

Nghia Phu commune authorities also recommend that people do not cut down avocado trees because of crop failure and switch to other crops because this year's avocado crop failure is due to weather effects and is not a cause for concern.