Dong Nai enters fruit season

​(CTT-Đong Nai) The end of May and beginning of June is the season of summer fruits. Areas that focus on planting fruit trees such as Long Thanh city, and districts like Xuan Loc, Nhon Trach, Vinh Cuu,… are attracting a high number of visitors. 

Farmer Le Hai (live in Cay Da hamlet, Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city) is seen giving visitors (on the left) a tour and let them taste fruits.

Burmese grape is in season
The combined area of Long Thanh - Nhon Trach is famous for its juicy, eye-catching Burmese grapes that attract visitors from all around. Currently, the total area of Burmese grape gardens in 3 communes: An Phuoc (Long Thanh district), Phu Hoi and Long Tan (Nhon Trach district) is around 60 hectares. Burmese grape is planted following the monoculture or polyculture model with other fruits, such as: durian, chempedak, mangosteen, rambutan, Middle of May is when Burmese grape begins to ripen.
Farmer Bay Thu (owning 5 sao of Burmese grape in An Phuoc commune) said, this fruit was brought to An Phuoc and other regions about a century ago. At the moment, his garden still has some trees that are over 70 years old. The older the tree gets, the tastier its fruits become compared to 5 to 10 years old trees. That is why visitors favor “ancient" gardens over the newer ones.

“Burmese grapes beside directly consumed, it can be used to make salad, and sour vegetable soup. In the past, this fruit was a traditional snack commonly seen during parties, and now it becomes a unique food to visitors coming to An Phuoc and other places in the district". Mr. Bay added.
The early rains add even more flavors to the already juicy Burmese grapes in Phu Hoi commune. Chairman of the Phu Hoi commune's Farmer Association, Mr Nguyen Huy Sang, said that in order to improve the economic value of Burmese grape, Phu Hoi's farmers have carry out promotion campaigns on their personal social network accounts targeting young people to attract them to visit their gardens, taste their grapes, other fruits and local cuisines that Phu Hoi has to offer. 

“In December and January, the flowers from Burmese grape trees are already breath-taking, as March and April (in Lunar calendar) – or May and June for western calendar, the ripened grapes add more beauty to the scene. Even a local like myself can enjoy this scene, and wait patiently for the Burmese grape season to come around, then imagine what a stranger will feel about all of this" shared Mr. Sang.
Attracting visitors
Long Khanh city is the capital of fruit trees of Dong Nai province. At the end of May – 2023, the 2,5 hectares of fruit trees garden belongs to Mr. Sau Hung (Cay Da hamlet, Binh Loc commune) began to ripen. Mr. Hung said since the beginning of 2023, his garden has welcomed hundreds of tourists coming to visit and enjoying local fruits and cuisine. Other members of the Binh Loc Garden Tourism co-operative group have also welcomed around 5 thousand visitors, selling between 20 to 23 tons of fruits, and earning approximately 6 billion VNĐ.

 Looking at the weird number plates hung on fruit trees belong to farmers in Binh Loc commune, many visitors are left curious. The farmers explain that these numbers record the statistic of each tree, for example: its age, fruit's quality, yield,…Every time someone make a purchase, the farmers then take note to observe the growth of that tree. 

Vice Chairman of the Binh Loc commune's Farmer Association, Mr. Hoang Duc Liem, said that is a unique way of doing tourism, which is selling the tree but not the land of the local farmers. When customer buys a tree for 1 year, they become the owner of said tree for the duration. The price is calculated based on the tree's yield per year, and the farmer has the responsibility to take care of that tree. The buyer just needs to watch their tree over a camera, or they can go to the garden and directly visit, take pictures or even harvest it themselves
By owning over 1,6 thousand hectares of summer fruits, farmers in Xuan Lap ward (Long Khanh city) can compete with the neighboring towns and commune in attracting tourists to their ripened fruit gardens. Mr.Nguyen Van Nam (a 70-year old farmer in 6 quarter, Phu My hamlet, Xuan Lap ward) expressed that even when making a huge profit from selling seasonal fruits to merchants, it is not as happy as having visitors coming to his garden, enjoying themselves and bringing fruits back to their homes.

The season of summer fruits has come to Dong Nai, attracting tourists to visit and promote these fruits to other people. This is also the chance for visitors from other parts of the country to enjoy Bien Hoa – Dong Nai, a place with a 325-year of history, and its delicious seasonal fruits. ​​​