Farmers switch to oranges

A farmer harvests oranges in the southern province of Dong Thap. Many farmers in the Cuu Long Delta have switched to growing the fruit. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu

CUU LONG DELTA — With thick-skinned oranges fetching higher and higher prices, many farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have switched to growing the fruit, and worried authorities are warning that a possible glut will deflate prices.

Nguyen Van Hong, a farmer in Vinh Long Province's Tra On District, said he earned a profit of VND200 million (US$9,500) from his one-ha orchard which yielded 18 tonnes of thick-skinned oranges in the last crop.

Because of the high profits from the fruit, he is now planting more than 4,000 new trees.

Le Van Mot, a neighbour, is turning his paddy field into an orchard.

He said: "I grew rice for dozens of years but could not become wealthy. My brothers switched to growing thick-skinned oranges a few years ago and have all become prosperous."

Farmers in Tra On have turned nearly 100ha of paddy fields into orchards, according to the district Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau.