Since late October, households, farms, and cooperatives in Cao Phong district, Hoa Binh province, have been rushing to harvest the 2023 - 2024 orange crop.
Farmers in Cao Phong town harvesting orange.
Cao Phong is now home to over 1,740 hectares of citrus trees, including more than 1,350 hectares of orange, of which 536 hectares have followed VietGAP standards.
As one of the cooperatives that are striving to build the Cao Phong organic orange brand, the 3T Cao Phong Agricultural Product Cooperative in the township has applied the VietGAP farming methods over the past years.
Its Director Vu Thi Le Thuy said member households harvest orange daily to ensure the fruit is always fresh, meeting orders placed via Zalo, Facebook, and even e-commerce platforms. The cooperative has harvested over 10% of its area so far.
A member of the Orange Growers' Association of Cao Phong township, Bui Thi Lan has been busy cutting oranges to deliver to her customers since the new crop began.
Bui Van Dan, head of the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cao Phong district, said the orange output in the 2023 - 2024 crop is expected to reach about 18,000 - 20,000 tonnes.
Since Cao Phong orange was granted with the geographical indication certification, along with focusing on improving the quality and diversifying products, the district has stepped up the communications work to raise public awareness of preserving the Cao Phong orange brand.
To implement the province's citrus replanting project and another on orange replanting in Cao Phong, the district will first build a sample orange field, which is expected to become a place for farmers and tourists to learn from and visit, he said.
