After many consecutive rains and storms in 2025, the betel gardens in Vinh Phu ward (Nghe An province) that were once devastated and broken are now gradually reviving. When the Lunar New Year is approaching, betel growers are busy harvesting leaves to promptly supply to the market for worship and festivals, which increase sharply at the end of the year.
Betel is not a type of plant that is only grown once but yields harvests all year round. However, this is a "difficult-to-tolerate" plant, unable to withstand prolonged cold, drought or waterlogging, especially very susceptible to fungal diseases. According to growers, one of the important principles is to absolutely not use unincubated compost, because just a small mistake can damage the entire betel garden.
Attached to betel trees since the 1990s, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa (58 years old, residing in Kim Lien block) said that initially her family only planted a few hundred square meters. Recognizing the outstanding economic efficiency compared to many other crops, the betel area has not been gradually expanded. To date, her family owns more than 1,500m2 of betel not cultivated in net houses.
According to Ms. Hoa, two major storms No. 5 and No. 10 caused serious damage to the betel garden. “After the storm, it is necessary to rebuild the entire net house, fix the tree trunk, replenish soil, fertilize and cover the roots to retain moisture. When done, the plants will begin to sprout and leave again. Betel can be sold year-round, but Tet and the full moon of the first lunar month are still the strongest consumption period, and the price is also higher,” Ms. Hoa shared.
Not only Ms. Hoa's family, Ms. Dien's betel garden (66 years old, also in Kim Lien block) also suffered heavy damage after the successive storms. Ms. Dien and her relatives had to almost start over: rebuilding the trellis, roofing, cleaning up fallen trees, improving the soil and taking care of each betel root.
Betel is not very sensitive, just being flooded or cold for a long time will cause root rot and tree death. The recent storm must be urgently overcome, if you are slow, the whole garden will be lost. During Tet, demand increases, some days we pick leaves from early morning to late at night before they can be delivered to customers," Ms. Dien said.
According to betel growers, the harvesting stage also requires meticulousness. The betel leaves used for worship must be large, thick, dark green leaves, with smooth and shiny leaves, without scratches. Smaller or inferior leaves are sold to betel eaters or supplied to essential oil extraction facilities.
To limit risks caused by weather, many households in Vinh Phu have invested in solid net houses, installed automatic irrigation systems, and covered dry leaves under the base to retain moisture, regulate temperature and reduce soil erosion. Some households also proactively cut branches and sow seeds to both restore the area after natural disasters and ensure crop sources for the next crops.
Vinh Phu ward is currently considered the largest betel nut growing area of Nghe An. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Le - Chairwoman of the ward Farmers' Association - said that the whole area still has more than a dozen households attached to betel nut trees, concentrated in Kim Lien, Kim Binh and Kim Tan blocks.
Betel trees not only bring stable income but also help many families become well-off. Over the past time, people have boldly applied technical advances, invested in modern net houses and irrigation systems to maintain and sustainably develop this special crop," Ms. Le informed.
