Pha Din Pass connecting the two provinces of Dien Bien - Son La has an altitude of 1,648m above sea level, not only famous for its winding, cloud-covered roads but also known for its delicious specialty of cat apples. However, in recent years, many people have had to cut them down because cat apples no longer have economic value.
Ms. Vu Thi Thao - a resident of Long village, Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district, said that this year the price of cat apples has slightly increased compared to last year, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 VND/kg depending on the type of fruit. However, due to heavy rain, output decreased significantly.
According to Ms. Thao, in Toa Tinh commune, in addition to her family, many other households have also decided to cut down a part of the apple tree area to switch to growing other types of trees, in the hope of having a stable source of income. than.
"Previously, my family had more than 3 hectares of apple trees, but now nearly half of the area has been cut down to grow coffee and pear trees" - Ms. Thao said.
To consume apple products, households have actively sought new sales channels. In addition to selling directly at the garden and retail, we also send cat apples to the lowland provinces by bus. However, consumption is still very slow because the market no longer favors it.
According to the reporter's research, in the Pha Dinh pass area, for many years people have gradually replaced the apple tree and switched to growing coffee, macadamia or melon trees - plants that have been considered specialties. and brings a stable source of income to many people on the top of Pha Din pass.
Ms. Sung Thi Nhia - Hang Tau village, Toa Tinh commune, said people here often intercrop melon and corn in the fields, making the most of the land area. Melon season usually lasts from June to September, bringing farmers a significant source of income.
According to Nhia, a melon usually weighs 0.8-1.5kg, some even weigh more than 2kg. The current retail price is about 10 - 20 thousand VND/kg depending on the type of fruit.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Sung A Chu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Toa Tinh commune, Tuan Giao district - said that in recent years, cat apple trees have no longer been planted and many people have cut them down. In the commune, there are currently two types of crops that occupy a large area: coffee (more than 729 hectares) and macadamia (190 hectares).
“Even though the cat apple tree does not need much time to care for it, selling the product is very difficult. Therefore, in just the past 2 years, the area of cat apple trees in the whole commune has decreased from 120 hectares to 84 hectares" - Mr. Chu added.
Also according to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Toa Tinh commune, in the coming time the commune will continue to focus on directing and promoting the restructuring of the agricultural sector, converting the crop structure, in which macadamia and coffee are selected as the main crops.
