In Soc Trang, people are growing green plums in such a way that they're producing an abundance of fruit, harvesting 3.5 tons and selling them for 80,000 VND/kg.

In recent years, green plums have been considered one of the crops that bring high economic value to many orchards in some localities in Soc Trang province, including Long Phu district.

Given the economic potential of the green plum tree, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long Phu district has implemented a model of growing green plums at the household of Mr. Le Quoc Lam, An Duc hamlet, Dai Ngai town. To date, the plum orchard is in its peak season, yielding a bountiful harvest.

Mr. Le Quoc Lam's green plum orchard covers an area of ​​3,000 square meters. After 17 months of planting, the green plum trees are ready for harvest.

In the early stages, when the trees are flowering and bearing fruit, to prevent fruit flies and other pests from attacking the fruit, he uses netting to cover each cluster or the entire tree.

According to Mr. Lam, this method does not require the use of pesticides, offering two advantages: reduced production costs and consumer preference for fruit produced in a safe manner.

Mr. Lam shared: “Thanks to the support of the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, I boldly switched to growing plums and reaped the rewards. The District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development subsidized 50% of the investment costs for the plum orchard, so I only invested an additional 120 million VND.”

The green plum tree in Mr. Le Quoc Lam's garden, An Duc hamlet, Dai Ngai town, Long Phu district (Soc Trang province) is bearing fruit for the first time with good yield. Photo: THUY LIEU.

Green plum trees are quite easy to grow; they just need proper watering and fertilization according to the technical guidelines recommended by agricultural experts, and they will thrive. In this first harvest season, I estimate I will harvest over 3.5 tons.

After harvesting this batch of plums, I will stop picking them for about two months to allow the trees to rest, and then I will resume picking as usual, because this variety of green plum bears fruit all year round.

The price of green plums purchased directly from the orchards by traders is 80,000 VND/kg. The estimated profit from the plum harvest in the first few months of the year is over 200 million VND, an amount many times higher than growing other crops.”

Mr. Lam chose to cultivate plums organically, without spraying pesticides to nourish the trees and fruit, and using only organic fertilizers.

According to Mr. Lam, the secret to maintaining the sweetness of the plums is to limit watering and avoid fertilizing the trees throughout the harvesting process. He plans to expand his plum orchard to 7,000 square meters to increase production and meet consumer demand.

"Green plums are a new crop in the town. Initial results show that the trees provide a good source of income for farmers, especially after monitoring them from seedling stage to fruiting stage. They are quite suitable for the local natural conditions, as evidenced by the fact that the trees have been and are currently bearing fruit very well."

To enhance the value and promote the local specialty product, the town is finalizing the application for its green sugar plums to participate in the OCOP product ranking competition in 2024.

"At the same time, the locality also plans to expand the model of growing green plums throughout the town," said Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Huyen Trang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dai Ngai town.

According to Comrade Lam Van Vu, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Long Phu district (Soc Trang province), the area planted with green plums in the district is over 8 hectares, with some orchards cultivating more than 1 hectare.

Recognizing the economic potential of the green plum tree, the district has implemented support models for household growers. Most of these models have yielded good productivity and output, a prime example being the household of Mr. Le Quoc Lam.

Looking ahead, the unit will promote the conversion of less efficient crops to planting green plums and other high-value plum varieties, as plum trees are suitable for the soil in the district, in order to contribute to increasing income and improving the lives of farmers.

Source: https://danviet.vn/o-soc-trang-dan-trong-man-xanh-duong-kieu-gi-ma-ra-trai-qua-troi-hai-35-tan-ban-80000-dong-kg-20240602004628946.htm