Xã Đoài during the Tet orange season

(Baonghean)As the Lunar New Year approached, we had the opportunity to visit the famous Xa Doai orange growing region. This year, the price of Xa Doai oranges reached a record high, with some orchards charging up to 65,000 VND per fruit, yet they were still selling out.

As one of the households owning the most beautiful orange orchards in the commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc in Hamlet 8, Nghi Dien commune, proudly said: “My orchard currently has 30 trees ready for harvest, and this year every tree is bearing large and beautiful fruit. From the beginning of October 2012, customers from Hanoi came to place orders, but I didn't dare accept deposits because the weather this year wasn't favorable, and the fruit ripened earlier than usual. Nghi Dien has 13 out of 13 hamlets growing oranges, but only oranges grown on land in Hamlets 8 and 9 have a sweeter, more fragrant flavor, so the price is usually 10,000 VND/fruit higher than oranges grown on land in other hamlets. By the end of December, the price of oranges had jumped to 60,000 VND/fruit, an increase of 10,000 VND/fruit compared to the Tet holiday.”



Cam Xã Đoài oranges have high economic value.

Visiting Mr. Nguyen Duy Hao's house in Hamlet 9 (owner of a 100-tree orange orchard, one of the largest in the commune), we learned that the oranges sold on the morning of December 30th were 65,000 VND per fruit. Mr. Hao said: "Currently, my family has 100 trees, of which 70 are producing fruit. Every year, around the Lunar New Year, customers mainly buy oranges as gifts and for offerings... Customers from all over make the effort to travel all the way to Doai commune, so they often go to each orchard and ask the owner to cut each orange while it's still on the branch to avoid buying the wrong kind."

There are two types of Xa Doai oranges: the loquat variety and the gourd variety. The loquat variety has a tall, slightly protruding fruit with a small stem, while the gourd variety has a slightly flattened fruit with a concave top. When ripe, Xa Doai oranges have a bright reddish-yellow color and a mild, sweet, and refreshing taste without any sourness.

Mr. Phan Cong Huong, Vice Chairman of the Nghi Dien Commune People's Committee and Chairman of the Association for the Restoration of Xa Doai Orange Variety, stated: In 1980, Nghi Dien had nearly 60 hectares of oranges, making it a highly valuable economic commodity that was even exported. However, today, the area planted with oranges is only over 10 hectares, with 4 hectares planted by local farmers and 2 hectares by a farm owner recently planted in the fields. In 2011, the commune developed a project to conserve and develop Xa Doai oranges and replace rice with orange trees, aiming for 50 hectares by 2015. Furthermore, according to the new rural development plan, the commune intends to convert 100 hectares of double-cropping rice land to orange cultivation to create a concentrated production area. However, this project is difficult to implement due to the lack of specific policies and incentives, which discourage orange growers from investing. Currently, my family is the only one in the entire commune that has invested in planting 150 trees. This year, the first crop of flowers has bloomed, and my family will be able to harvest them by 2014...

Ngoc Anh