Along the hillsides in Chieng Khuong, Muong Hung, Chieng Khoong and Song Ma communes, the harvesting atmosphere is urgent. People take advantage of favorable weather to harvest, pack and transport products to traders.
The entire Song Ma region currently has more than 1,000 hectares of early-ripening longan, the output of this crop is estimated at about 9,000 - 10,000 tons of fruit. Early-ripening longan not only yields quite a lot, but also stands out with its beautiful appearance, sweet aroma, and ensures safety, so it is favored by the market.
In Khuong Tien village (Chieng Khuong commune), Mr. Nguyen Van Quang's family is entering the peak harvest season. The heavy bunches of longans are carefully pruned and carefully selected before being delivered to purchasing agents.
Mr. Quang said that his family used to grow local longan, but the economic efficiency was not high. After learning about it, he switched to grafting and improving 1 hectare of early ripe longan variety T6.
After a few years of care, the tree bears stable fruit, the fruit ripens earlier than main-season longans, and the selling price is also 3-4 times higher than main-season longans, so income has increased significantly," Mr. Quang said.
According to people, early ripening longan requires higher care techniques. Trees need abundant water because they bloom in the dry season. After harvesting, branches must be pruned, fertilized to stimulate buds, and flower buds must be treated at the right time.
When the plant blooms, growers should limit spraying pesticides to create conditions for insects to pollinate. In the fruit setting stage, pest and disease prevention needs to be emphasized to ensure quality.
Mr. Lo Van Cham, representative of Hoa Muoi Agricultural Cooperative (Chieng Khoong commune), said that cooperatives are strengthening guidance for members to take care of longan gardens in the decisive productivity stage.
Watering on hot sunny days and pruning fruit is very important. If the fruit is too thick, the fruit will be small; overwatering, longans are easily cracked when harvested. When cared for properly, the tree focuses on nutrition, giving bigger, evener and more beautiful fruits," said Mr. Cham.
Early ripe longan is usually harvested from mid-April to the end of June, about 1-1.5 months earlier than the main season. Currently, the selling price fluctuates from 50,000-60,000 VND/kg, 3-4 times higher than the main season. This advantage helps people improve product value and stabilize income.
In Chieng Khuong commune, the longan area continues to be expanded. Mr. Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said that the locality currently has nearly 900 hectares of longan, of which more than 500 hectares are early ripe longans. "Developing early ripe longans helps increase value and limit the situation of bumper crops but falling prices," Mr. Nguyen said.
In Song Ma commune, many households have switched to organic production. Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh (Tay Ho village) is one of the pioneers with more than 1 hectare of early-ripening longan. He has grafted and improved the entire old variety garden to variety T6 and applied organic care processes.
This longan variety is very suitable for Song Ma soil. When produced in an organic direction, the fruit is more fragrant, sweeter, ensuring food safety and is favored by customers," Mr. Hanh shared.
Mr. Duong Tu Thanh, Director of Toan Thang Agricultural Service Cooperative, said that early ripening longans bring great advantages to growers.
Longans are harvested evenly for about 2 months, reducing consumption pressure in the main season. Currently, many households in the cooperative are gradually switching to organic production to increase value," Mr. Thanh said.
Thanks to the proactiveness of the people and technical support, Song Ma early ripening longan is increasingly affirming its value, contributing to increasing income and promoting local economic development.
