Vinh An enters the orange harvest season

Vinh An Hamlet (Dong Yen Commune) is entering the peak harvest season of its signature yellow-oranges, creating a bustling atmosphere across the hillside orchards. With approximately 130 hectares under cultivation, entirely yellow-orange varieties, Vinh An has the largest orange-growing area in the commune. These days, the orchards are heavy with ripe, golden fruit, while trucks line up along the concrete roads to transport oranges to markets.

Orchard owners in Vinh An enter orange harvest season.

The harvest season is marked by the constant movement of vehicles carrying oranges to collection points, the calls of hired harvest workers, and lively discussions among growers about yields, prices and fruit quality. Despite unfavorable weather conditions this year, many large orchards are still recording substantial output.

The orchard of Do Thi Liep is among the largest in the hamlet, with more than 1,000 orange trees covering around 2.2 hectares and an estimated yield of nearly 40 tonnes. With trees aged 10–13 years, strong growth and uniform, attractive fruit, her orchard has consistently been highly rated by traders. To date, over 20 tonnes have been sold at a farm-gate price of VND 14,600 per kilogram. Although output has fallen by about 20 percent compared to last year, the orchard is still expected to generate around VND 600 million in revenue, with profits estimated at 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thanh Do’s family owns nearly one hectare of oranges with 400 trees and an estimated yield of 15 tonnes. Due to a sharp decline in output and rising fertilizer costs, he has chosen to delay sales in hopes of higher prices, despite the risk of losses caused by adverse weather.

According to hamlet head Dang Thi Mung, more than 80 percent of Vinh An’s 186 households grow oranges, and about half of this year’s output has already been harvested. After nearly 20 years of large-scale orange cultivation, living standards in the hamlet have steadily improved, leaving only 10 poor households. Despite weather-related impacts this season, yellow-oranges remain the key crop, continuing to underpin livelihoods and economic prospects in Vinh An.

Duy Tuan