Tran Duy Ha introduces to customers the quality and varieties of his oranges.

Fourteen years ago, recognizing fluctuations in lychee prices, Ha and his family decided to buy 150 saplings of yellow-fleshed orange to replace their low-quality lychee plantation. At the beginning, their lack of experience led to the young trees dying from diseases.

Overcoming frustration, Ha learned cultivation techniques from books, newspapers and other families growing the citrus plant. He discovered that hoeing around their stumps must be limited, but fertilizing on the surface of the soil and light watering are recommended. Caring for the tree was not a simple task, with different fertilizers used for different growth periods. The soil must be moisturized regularly but should not be flooded.

After three years, the hard work was paid off, the garden turned out good fruits. Recognizing that the tree could thrive on the hill land of Luc Ngan and its fruit was on demand in the market, Ha kept expanding his garden to over 1 hectare with 1,100 trees.

Each year, the family harvests between 30 and 35 tonnes of orange, earning about 1 billion VND (44,000 USD). Five years ago, Ha invested in another 3,600 square meters growing Canh sweet orange trees, raking in some 300 million VND (13,200 USD) on an annual basis.

Particularly, in 2017, with assistance from the district’s agricultural promotion agency, Ha’s family began applying the VietGap standards on his garden. All cultivation steps from watering and fertilizing to spraying plant protection chemicals have been noted in a diary.

Ha has switched to using herbal pesticides to ensure safety for both growers and consumers. In early November, the orange garden was accredited with VietGap certification, which meant its fruits would find easier access to demanding customers and export markets.

Duc Tho – Nguyen Doan