Sadness in the export-oriented longan orchards of Chi Linh.

Due to severe weather conditions, most of the longan orchards in Chi Linh suffered crop failure.

The garden is "empty" of fruit.

Hoang Hoa Tham commune is a major lychee-growing area for export in Chi Linh city. The commune has over 60 hectares of lychee orchards, of which 13 hectares are cultivated according to GlobalGAP standards, and the rest according to VietGAP standards. In previous years, during the lychee season, visitors to Thanh Mai Pagoda could enjoy fresh, delicious lychees right in the orchards. But this season, the lychee orchards are lush green with leaves.

Leading us on a tour of the longan orchards producing export-quality fruit, Mr. Phung Gia Vuong, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Hoang Hoa Tham commune, shared: “Every year, at the beginning of the season, we continuously bring delegations of businesses and traders to visit the longan orchards that meet export standards. The orchard owners are also happier because there are always people coming and going to visit their orchards. This year, due to the poor harvest, we haven't seen any businesses or traders around.”

For over a decade, Mr. Nguyen Dinh An in Da Bac village has grown longan, but he's never been as disappointed as this season. His family's longan orchard has grown various varieties, from Mien Thiet longan and Ha Tay longan to super-sweet longan… Since 2020, his family's longan orchard has been purchased by businesses for export every year. In 2023, the harvest was good, but they couldn't export due to high transportation costs, resulting in low prices. Even so, the large yield meant his family still made a profit of over 100 million dong after deducting expenses. This year, however, is a different story. His entire 2-hectare longan orchard is estimated to yield only 200 kg of fruit instead of the 24 tons of previous seasons. "We spent the whole year tending the trees and hoping for this longan harvest, but with this amount, it's only enough for our children and grandchildren to enjoy, not enough to sell," Mr. An said sadly.

This season, Mr. Xuyen's 2 hectares of longan trees grown for export yielded only about 2 tons of fruit, a decrease of 80% compared to the same period last year.

A few hills away is the longan orchard of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuyen, also in Da Bac village. Almost every year, his family's longan orchard is purchased by businesses for export, with some years reaching about 80% of the yield exported. The export price is always 5,000 VND/kg higher than the market price. Every season, he earns hundreds of millions of VND. Despite his experience, this year Mr. Xuyen's longan orchard is also facing a crop failure like other orchards. At this time in previous seasons, he would have already hired people to prune the branches, but this season he doesn't dare. Because behind those lush green branches, there might be the rare clusters of longan that will last for the season. Despite the disappointing harvest, he still hopes to sell at a high price to compensate for the year's care costs.

Hai Duong province has over 2,000 hectares of longan orchards with a production of more than 12,000 tons, but only the longan growing area in Chi Linh City meets export standards. Chi Linh currently has about 740 hectares of longan orchards, concentrated in communes and wards such as Hoang Hoa Tham, Bac An, Hoang Tien, Le Loi, etc., with an estimated average production of over 4,000 tons per year. This year, due to the impact of the weather, both the lychee and longan growing areas in Hai Duong have suffered crop failures. In Chi Linh alone, the longan growing area has seen a production decrease of up to 80% compared to the same period last year, down to only about 800 tons.

You must master the technique.

Thanks to mastering the techniques, Mr. Nguyen Van Vien's longan orchard remains abundant with fruit.

Contrary to the general situation, Mr. Nguyen Van Vien's longan orchard in Tan Tien residential area, Hoang Tien ward, is still bearing abundant fruit. With 1.5 hectares of longan trees, he still harvested 7 tons of fruit this season, equivalent to previous years. At the beginning of the early longan season, he sold to traders at 50,000 VND/kg, and currently the price remains at 40,000 VND/kg, 10,000-15,000 VND/kg higher than the same period last year. To date, he has harvested more than 40% of the yield, earning a profit of over 100 million VND.

According to Mr. Vien, weather is a major factor affecting crop yields. However, mastering planting and care techniques can partially mitigate the consequences caused by the weather. Previously, his family's entire longan orchard mainly consisted of varieties like Mien Thiet and Meo Ha Tay… When these trees became old, he boldly replaced all the old varieties with grafted longan varieties such as Duong Phen and Huong Chi. These varieties yield fruit earlier than the main season longan, so the selling price is also higher. Currently, 70% of the longan area is already producing fruit, and the remaining area will be harvested in the next season.

“Early-ripening longan trees are highly valuable but also much riskier, so cultivation techniques are especially important. Each stage of the tree's development must be considered to ensure timely fertilization and high yields. For the past six years, the price of my longan has never been below 30,000 VND/kg. Besides domestic consumption, my longan is also purchased by many businesses for export at high prices,” Mr. Vien shared.

Previously, Mr. Xuyen always wondered why lychees from Hung Yen or Bac Giang had more attractive appearances than those from Hai Duong. This season, he has found his answer. “Because the lychee trees bear fewer fruits, I boldly selected some trees to experiment with new fertilizer varieties. Although the trees bear very few fruits, the fruits are large and have bright, vibrant colors. This year, due to crop failure, the price of lychees during the main season will surely be high. After harvesting, I will hire people to prune and care for the trees to prepare for the next season. Hopefully, the next season will be a joyful one for lychee growers.”

Chi Linh is one of the major fruit-growing regions in Hai Duong province. The city currently has approximately 190 hectares of longan orchards cultivated according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. Annually, over 1,000 tons of longan meet export standards. Since 2020, in addition to domestic consumption, Chi Linh longan has been exported to the UK, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. This confirms that Chi Linh longan has established a strong brand and earned the trust of consumers both domestically and internationally.

However, to maintain productivity and quality in the lychee-growing region for export, farmers must master techniques, replace barren orchards, and select plant varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases. Only then can they minimize the negative impact of weather on crop yields.

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Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/noi-buon-o-nhung-vuon-nhan-xuat-khau-cua-chi-linh-387734.html