People in Kha Linh area, Thac Ba commune, Lao Cai province (Dai Minh commune, Yen Binh district, old Yen Bai province) were once known as the capital of grapefruit with a famous specialty of "royal" grapefruit.
People around Thac Ba commune (Dai Minh commune, old Han Da commune) have an economy mainly based on growing and trading grapefruit to the king, bringing great economic value to the locality.
In 2024, after the flood caused by the circulation of storm No. 3, more than 100 hectares of people's grapefruit crops were flooded and damaged. Of which, nearly 50 hectares were completely damaged, many families became penniless.
After the natural disaster, thanks to the participation of experts, support and guidance of specialized agencies and local authorities, many areas that were thought to be lost have begun to sprout, bloom and bloom, and bear fruit.
It seemed to recover after a year of empty hands when storm No. 10 hit, Thac Ba Hydropower Plant and Thac Ba 2 Hydropower Plant simultaneously released floodwaters, the entire downstream area was submerged in water.
When the storm passed, many days later, the grapefruit fields of the people of Thac Ba commune were still submerged in water, the grapefruits prepared for the harvest were golden brown, soaked in water, and the leaves and trunks also gradually withered.
On October 3, present in Kha Linh village, Thac Ba commune, reporters witnessed people here busy rowing boats, wading through water to each grapefruit tree to harvest fruits that could be sold.
Struggling to see more than 80 grapefruit trees over 10 years old submerged in water without being able to do anything, Mr. Dong Van Chien (in Kha Linh village, Thac Ba commune) said that last year's Typhoon Yagi had caused more than 100 of his family's grapefruit trees to be submerged in water. After the water receded, the grapefruit also had all the fruit dropped, almost losing everything.
"This year, the water is flooded again, there is a risk that all the grapefruits will fall. It is estimated that each grapefruit tree has about 50 to 60 fruits, with 80 trees, my family lost about more than 4,000 fruits. Now we just wait for the water to recede to see if we can save any fish," Mr. Chien lamented.
In the same situation, Mrs. Ta Thi Tuyen's family had about 9 sao of grapefruits that were sadly flooded. She said: "When the water rose, my family took the opportunity to cut about 500 green-skinned grapefruits, the rest were still immature and could not be cut."
Ms. Tuyen said that today, taking advantage of the sunny weather, the water gradually receded, people went out to pick some more fruits to see if they could pick them, and after a few days of waiting for the water to run out, the grapefruit will rot, and there will be nothing left.
Mr. Le Quang Hung, Secretary of the Party Cell of Kha Linh village, Thac Ba commune shared that the village has about 120 grapefruit growing households, with more than 150 hectares affected by flooded water, grapefruit gardens are deeply flooded.
According to experience, if the water recedes early, grapefruit can save 80%. However, with the area near the riverbank, there is a possibility that the grapefruit stump will rot.
In the immediate future, the locality is encouraging people to harvest grapefruits that can be used to limit economic damage. After that, the ornamental garden will be urgently cleaned, the tops will be cut, and medicine will be used to revive the grapefruit trees.
Mr. Pham Van Hien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thac Ba commune, Lao Cai province, said: "This is just a temporary solution. After the water recedes completely, the commune will coordinate with specialized agencies to deploy technical measures to overcome the consequences, helping people restore their gardens and ensure productivity for the following crops".
Millions of arms turn to compatriots affected by storms and floods
Consecutive storms No. 8, 9, 10 and floods caused by the storm have killed 19 people and many people are missing. Many houses and production and business establishments had their roofs blown off and suffered heavy damage. People across the northern and central mountainous provinces are struggling to cope with floods and heavy losses in human lives and property due to floods and thunderstorms.
"A piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full", with the spirit of mutual love that has always been a beautiful image of the Vietnamese people, the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund calls on domestic and foreign philanthropists to join hands to share with people affected by floods to have food, clothing, shelter, students have books to go to school...
The Golden Heart Social Charity Fund would like to sincerely thank the precious feelings of agencies, businesses, and domestic and foreign philanthropists.
All help please send to: The socialist fund of the golden heart, No. 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Phone: 024.39232756. Account number (STK): 113000000758 at VietinBank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi. STK: 0021000303088 - At Vietcombank - Hanoi Branch, STK: 12410001122556 - At BIDV - Hoan Kiem Branch. Or scan the following QR code:
