Dai Minh pomelos, in Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, are famously known as the “Royal pomelos,” bringing in tens of billions of dong annually for the local community. Mrs. Pham Thi Yen’s family, in Minh Than village, Dai Minh commune, has 150 pomelo trees ranging from a few to several decades old. This has been their primary source of income for years and has funded her husband’s medical treatment. Mrs. Yen expected to earn about 120 million dong from this year’s pomelo harvest, but now the fruits are ruined as the trees have been submerged in floodwaters for days. As the waters receded and the sun emerged, many trees suffered from leaf scorch, fruit drop, and desiccation. Seeing the fallen pomelos at the tree’s base, Mrs. Yen couldn’t help but feel saddened.
“If we were healthy and everything was normal, it wouldn’t be a problem. But now, with my husband’s illness and last year’s year-long hospitalization, all our money went to the hospital. Now, with no income, I don’t know what to do or where to turn to. My family is now penniless and in debt, and I had to borrow 10 million dong from my aunts and uncles in case my husband needs to go back to the hospital,” said a dejected Mrs. Yen.
Mrs. Yen feels saddened seeing the fallen pomelos
Mr. Ta Minh Tan’s family in Kha Linh village has 470 pomelo trees, yielding a yearly harvest worth nearly 500 million dong. After almost a week of flooding, 250 trees have dropped their fruits, and many are losing leaves, suffering from root rot, and gradually dying, with little chance of recovery. Every day, Mr. Tan toils in the orchard, tending to the trees and trying to save them, unsure how many can be salvaged.
“We don’t know what to do now. We can only trim the lower branches and leave the upper ones, hoping that if the trees survive, we can nurture them back to health. It will take several years for the pomelos to bear fruit again after this flooding,” Mr. Tan lamented.
Dai Minh pomelos have been cultivated for decades to centuries. Thanks to the favorable natural conditions, the pomelos here are distinct from those in other regions, featuring thin peels, a mild sweetness, and no bitterness. It has been passed down from generation to generation that these pomelos are fit for royalty.
Dai Minh commune currently has nearly 500 hectares of pomelo trees, ranging from a few to 60-70 years old, with some even reaching 200 years of age. Annually, these pomelos bring in over 50 billion dong for the local community. Due to the impact of Storm No. 3, nearly 100 hectares of pomelos in Kha Linh, Minh Than, and Cau Mo villages were damaged. The flooded trees are now experiencing leaf and fruit drop and dying en masse, with many households losing their entire harvest and even their trees.
“Since pomelos are our main source of income, we hope to receive support from the government in the form of seedlings to restore our orchards and quickly stabilize our lives,” expressed Ms. Pham Thi Chin, a resident of Minh Than village.
Replacing the dead pomelo trees with new plantings will require significant time and financial investment. Local authorities are collaborating with specialized agencies to assess the damage and formulate appropriate solutions. For the pomelo areas that can be saved, authorities will apply scientific and technical knowledge to their care to facilitate recovery. In contrast, the areas with dead trees will be cleared and potentially transitioned to other types of crops.
Mr. Nguyen Kieu Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee of Dai Minh commune, comforting and guiding the locals on post-flood tree management
Mr. Nguyen Kieu Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dai Minh commune, shared, “For areas with completely dead trees, we advise the locals to remove the tree stumps, rehabilitate the soil, and restart production by first planting short-term crops like winter corn.”
“For areas that can be rehabilitated, we recommend that people trim the branches, ensure proper drainage, and continue caring for the trees to restore their canopies. For areas with damage below 30%, we guide the farmers to ensure drainage, trim the branches, and continue tending to the trees to maintain fruit quality and ensure income for the people,” added Mr. Hung.
Here are some images of the Dai Minh pomelo trees that died and dropped fruit after the flooding:
The mass fruit drop from the pomelo trees saddens everyone
The pomelo trees, after prolonged flooding, are now dying from the sun exposure
The pomelos are drying out after the floods
The fallen pomelos are rotting on the ground, and the trees are slowly dying
Many families in Dai Minh feel regret and sadness seeing the ruined pomelos
The areas with significant damage will be transitioned to other crops
The floodwaters have left many pomelo-growing households with nothing…
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