Phan Cong Huong, who owns three Xa Doai orange orchards covering 400 hectares in Nghi Loc District, has been busy all day tending to hundreds of orange trees as the harvest season begins.
Huong's family faces great losses due to the massive orange drop (Photo by Viet Hoa)
According to Huong, he has never witnessed such a massive fruit drop as this year. Some trees have lost over half their fruit, while others have shed as much as 90 percent for unknown reasons.
"Given the significant fruit drop, I can't take the risk of accepting customer deposits. At the moment, only around 4,000 oranges are left for the 2025 Lunar New Year season market. We expect the family's income to be around VND300 million, a staggering 75 percent decline against previous seasons," Huong added.
The significant fruit drop has led to a 50-percent decline in productivity in Nghi Dien Commune (Photo by Viet Hoa)
In previous years, the 50-tree orange orchard owned by Nguyen Van Tho's family in Nghi Dien Commune generated an income of VND250-350 million each Lunar New Year Holiday season.
When the fruit first appeared, the orange orchard was lush and vibrant. But, the oranges started dropping in large numbers in the year's final months. Just 2,000 fruits are left to sell for the Lunar New Year.
"Each orange is priced at VND70,000-80,000. Some customers have offered deposits, but I hesitate to accept them, fearing there won't be enough oranges left to fulfil their orders by Tet," Tho noted.
Nghi Dien Commune has 30 hectares of Xa Doai oranges, 20 of which are cultivated at two large farms and the remaining in the orchards of 50 households.
This year, a significant fruit drop has led to a 50-percent decline in productivity, leaving locals with substantially lower earnings compared to previous years.
According to locals, Xa Doai oranges are renowned for their rich history, which was once regarded as a royal delicacy in ancient times. With their vibrant golden skin, golden flesh, and distinctively unique flavour, they stand out as a rarity.