Source: Nongnghiep.vn
Compared to last year’s crop, Cam Ham yen reduced output by 20,000 tons, but compensated for the higher price. Photo: Dao Thanh.
The total area of oranges for harvest in Ham Yen district is now more than 6,400 hectares, with an estimated output of 83,000 to 84,000 tons. Sanh oranges still occupy the largest area with an estimated output of more than 64,000 tons, followed by citrus, Xa Doai oranges more than 14,000 tons, V2 oranges more than 4,000 tons.
Compared to the orange crop in 2020, this orange crop is estimated to decrease by about 20,000 tons. The reason for this decrease is due to unfavorable weather at the beginning of the flowering season, so the fruit setting rate is low. Moreover, in the orange crops in 2019, 2020 due to the influence of the Covid-19 epidemic and the massive development of orange areas, Ham Yen oranges continuously depreciated.
Many gardeners lost capital, so in this year’s orange crop, many farmers did not want to invest in taking care of the tree, allowing the tree to grow and develop naturally, resulting in less nutrition for the tree, and low fruit yield. Many gardeners cut oranges to grow other crops.
By mid-October, Ham Yen orange area has started to harvest. With orange prices ranging from 6,200 to 6,500 VND/kg, compared to the previous crop, this year’s Ham Yen oranges are 1,000 VND/kg higher. Efforts not to let Ham Yen oranges depreciate, before the orange harvest season, the government of Tuyen Quang province and related agencies have increased propaganda and promotion activities on the mass media; supporting businesses and cooperatives to connect orange product consumption with distribution groups, owning supermarkets, trade centers, and convenience stores such as: Big C, Lan Chi, Vinmart & Vinmart+; connecting consumption on e-commerce platforms such as Red Lotus, Amazon, Shopee…
Mr. Dam Ngoc Hung, Head of Agriculture Department of Ham Yen district, said that compared to the beginning of last year, the price of oranges in Ham Yen district has increased at this time. If the Covid-19 epidemic does not develop complicatedly, perhaps this year’s orange crop will be worth more than the past 2 crops. Mr. Hung also admitted that this year’s oranges lost more crops and pests than previous crops, due to less investment in care.
Tuyen Quang province’s government is trying solutions to consume Ham Yen orange products. Photo: Dao Thanh.
Connecting consumption of orange products, in addition to selling to traders going to the provinces, up to now, organizations and individuals in the district have negotiated to sign a consumption contract with Masan Group; BigC supermarket connects consumption of Ham Yen orange products with Phong Luu Cooperative; The post office of Tuyen Quang province also fulfills its commitment, connecting and consuming 10,000 tons from now until the end of the crop.
Currently, the market for Ham Yen oranges is mainly still in the southern and central provinces. According to the calculation of the functional branch of Ham Yen district, this year’s crop of oranges consumed in this market will be about 40,000 tons. The rest will be consumed in the market of Hanoi and the northern provinces as well as the inner province.
Besides difficulties in consumption and price, another difficulty that Ham Yen orange area is facing is pests and diseases. Especially, Greening yellowing disease, also known as green vein yellowing disease, is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacteria belonging to the procaryote group. Bacteria live in the libe tissue of the plant, the disease usually occurs in all months of the year, spread by leafhoppers and propagating materials.
Yellow leaf rot is easily caused by aquatic fungi living in the soil such as Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium and harmful soil nematodes. Fungal diseases cause severe damage to trees, they cause root rot, stem ulcers and fruit rot. Nematodes can affect the host plant directly or indirectly, blocking blood vessels and reducing plant growth. From there, the infected plant gradually weakens and may die. 2 This disease is attacking and weakening and killing hundreds of hectares of oranges in Ham Yen district.
Expanding the development of orange areas in the direction of good agriculture, up to now, the whole Ham Yen orange area has 756 hectares of VietGAP standard, 18.6 hectares of converted organic standards. In 2020, the district produced and supplied 21,000 disease-free orange seedlings. In 2021, the district continues to supply 7,000 trees. In 2020, the National Office of Intellectual Property, the Ministry of Science and Technology has granted the Certificate of Geographical Indication Registration for Ham Yen crockery products.
