Early in the morning, people at the foot of Thien Nhan mountain, Nam Kim commune (Nam Dan district, Nghe An) bring baskets, scissors, and sacks to the garden to pick lemon leaves to sell.
Mr. Dang Van Hoa, hamlet 4, Nam Kim commune, Nam Dan district, harvests lemon leaves (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
Mr. Dang Quoc Viet (62 years old, resident of hamlet 4, Nam Kim commune) shared that people in Nam Kim commune have known how to grow lemons since the 1970s. At first, they planted a small number of trees and interspersed them with other fruit varieties.
Gradually, realizing that lemon trees have higher productivity and economic value than other trees, people focused on investing in this type of tree. Each family planted at least hundreds of trees, with higher income than growing rice.
For the past 2 years, traders have come to the garden to buy fresh lemon leaves at a price of 35,000-50,000 VND/kg (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
"Previously, few people bought lemon leaves, but in the past 2 years, traders have come to the garden to buy fresh lemon leaves for 35,000-50,000 VND/kg. Since selling lemon leaves, our people have been very excited because they have an additional source of income and a more stable life.
On average, each day, 3 people in my family pick 5-7kg of lemon leaves. Currently, lemon leaves are purchased at 50,000 VND/kg. In total, my family earns 250,000-350,000 VND per day," said Mr. Viet.
People can use scissors or their hands to harvest lemon leaves (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
Every morning, four members of Dang Van Hoa’s family (37 years old, living in Hamlet 4, Nam Kim Commune) go to the garden to pick lemon leaves to sell to traders. At this time, the lemons have already borne fruit, but the leaf harvesting is still going on as usual.
Easy work, brings in good income thanks to a popular leaf in rural areas (Video: Nguyen Duy).
Mr. Hoa's family has been involved in growing lemons for 35 years. Mr. Hoa uses 4 acres of land at the foot of Thien Nhan mountain to grow 200 lemon trees.
People choose beautiful and old leaves to pick (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
"Lemon growing is mainly for harvesting fruit. However, in the past two years, lemon leaves have been consumed a lot, so people growing lemons have had a good extra income. Off-season lemons are difficult to care for, require a lot of work, and have low productivity, so people pay less attention to investing than in the season. Thanks to the steady income from lemon leaves, my family earns a few hundred thousand VND every day," Mr. Hoa shared.
Mr. Dang Quoc Viet (62 years old, resident of hamlet 4, Nam Kim commune) is picking lemon leaves (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
According to Mr. Hoa, the best time to pick lemon leaves is in the morning, as it does not cause much damage to the tree and retains the aromatic, nutty flavor of the lemon leaves. If picked in the afternoon, the water will dry out, the lemon tree will be easily damaged and difficult to recover. If picked in the afternoon, the lemon leaves will not be as aromatic and nutty as in the morning.
Lemon leaves are usually harvested by hand or with scissors. During the leaf harvesting process, people cut off lemon branches that are past their prime and no longer able to grow, creating conditions for new branches to develop.
On average, each lemon tree yields 3-4kg of leaves. The harvested lemon leaves must not be too young, too old or yellow. The leaves must be dark green and smooth to retain their characteristic aromatic, nutty, spicy flavor.
After picking, the lemon leaves are washed, removing unqualified leaves such as too young or yellow, drained, dried, and waiting for traders to come and buy.
Yellow or wormy leaves will be removed (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
According to locals, lemon leaves are purchased by traders to use as spices in food companies and restaurants. Lemon leaves are also used to steam to relieve colds and to make essential oils for the pharmaceutical industry.
"Every morning my family picks 5-6kg of lemon leaves to sell. We only need to spend a few hours in the morning to have money. The work is easy, simple and doesn't take much time.
Lemon leaves are harvested continuously for 6-8 months. During the hot, dry summer months, the leaves curl, so people pick less. Although lemons are mainly grown for fruit, picking and selling leaves has helped us have a steady income. Especially during Tet, the price of lemon leaves goes up to 70,000 VND/kg," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (60 years old, resident of Hamlet 4, Nam Kim Commune).
After washing, the lemon leaves are drained and put into the dryer (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
Nam Kim Commune is located at the foot of Thien Nhan Mountain, the gravel soil is very suitable for the growth and development of lemon trees. This is also an easy-to-grow tree, only needs to be cared for 3 times a year, and watered regularly in the dry season to keep the tree hydrated.
"In the past, buying fertilizer for plants also cost a lot of money. Gradually, our people have learned to soak and compost microorganisms by using the residue of lemon essential oil, burying it underground and then returning it to fertilize the plants," said Mr. Hoa.
Mr. Dang Van Hoa is drying lemon leaves (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
According to Mr. Hoa, on average, each lemon tree has a lifespan of 20-35 years, depending on care and weather. The tree is usually 1.5-2m tall. Trees that are 30 years old or older have leaves that are not green but often turn yellow, but the crop still produces stable fruit.
Mr. Pham Xuan Hung, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nam Kim Commune (Nam Dan District, Nghe An), said that the commune has 206 hectares of land for growing lemons. The main income of the people depends on this type of tree.
Lemons grown in Nam Kim commune, at the foot of Thien Nhan mountain, have their own characteristics, different from other regions such as thin skin and fragrant taste (Photo: Nguyen Duy).
"Lemons grown in Nam Kim commune, at the foot of Thien Nhan mountain, have their own characteristics, different from other regions such as thin skin and fragrant taste. For the past 2 years, lemon leaves have been sold on the market, making people's lives even better.
Currently, the locality and local people are learning from experience and techniques to adjust the lemon trees to grow and develop better, suitable for the climate as well as find outlets for fruits and leaves to increase productivity," Mr. Pham Xuan Hung shared.
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