In mid-June, the green hillsides of Tai Nung pear trees (VH6) in Phieng Khoai, Ta Xua, Van Ho and Long Sap communes enter the main harvest season, the atmosphere becomes bustling.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the whole province currently has over 200 hectares of pear cultivation, mainly concentrated in highland communes.
From early morning, people are busy picking fruit, sorting, and packing boxes. Traders bring trucks to the gardens to purchase, creating a vibrant crop season picture in the highland hills.
In Phieng Khoai commune, which is considered the largest Tai Nung pear growing area of the province, many gardens are entering the peak productivity period.
Ms. Dinh Thi May, Director of Kien Cuong Cooperative, said that after more than 10 years of bringing pear varieties for planting, the trees have adapted well to the local climate and soil. This year, the output continues to increase. The fruit is round, thin, and has a mild sweet taste. Traders buy at the garden at prices from 25,000-40,000 VND/kg depending on size.
According to Mr. Le Van Duc, a trader from Hanoi, Tai Nung Son La pears are of stable quality, crispy, sweet and fragrant. Products are favored by consumers. Each season, he signs contracts to purchase dozens of tons of fruits.
The fact that cooperatives carry out classification and affixing traceability stamps helps products to be more convenient when put into distribution systems and e-commerce platforms.
In Ta Xua commune, Tai Nung pear variety has been introduced for cultivation since 2017 in Chung Chinh and Ta Xua villages.
Up to now, many areas have achieved stable harvests. People are gradually converting crop structure on sloping land. Many households have additional income of hundreds of millions of VND per crop, expanding production towards commodities.
Mr. Do Van Xiem, Chairman of Ta Xua Commune People's Committee, said that Tai Nung pear trees are becoming a new direction in the economic development of the H'Mong people. The whole commune has developed more than 70 hectares of pears. The locality is forming a concentrated production area, contributing to improving income and creating sustainable livelihoods for people in the highlands.
In Van Ho commune, Tai Nung pear gardens cultivated in an organic direction attract many tourists to visit, take photos and experience picking fruit at the garden.
Mr. Trang A Cao, from Hua Tat village, said that this year the pear garden continues to bear beautiful and good quality fruit. The entire output is ordered early by traders and customers. The family plans to harvest 4-5 tons of fruit, with a stable selling price and revenue of about 150 - 170 million VND.
In the Long Sap border area, after 5 years of implementation, the Tai Nung pear growing model has shown clear effectiveness. Many households have converted inefficient land to growing pears, forming concentrated production areas.
People apply safe farming techniques and link stable consumption. Pears are gradually becoming a new direction, increasing income and affirming the brand of agricultural products in the border region of Son La.
From pear gardens laden with fruit to cars continuously leaving the village, this year's Tai Nung pear season is not only a bumper crop and good prices but also affirms the potential for developing commodity agriculture associated with experiential tourism, creating livelihoods for people in the highlands of Son La.
