Visitors enjoy rambutan they picked at a fruit orchard in Ninh Son District’s Lam Son Commune in Ninh Thuan Province. – Photo nhandan.com.vn
The central province of Ninh Thuan is developing eco-tourism activities by opening up farmers’ fruit orchards to visitors, according to the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
About 800 hectares of many kinds of fruit, including mangosteen, durian, and rambutan, are grown in Lam Son Commune in the province’s Ninh Son District. .
Visitors can pick the fruit for a low price of VND10,000 (US$0.45) per kilo for rambutan, VND35,000 (US$1.5) per kilo for mangosteen and VND40,000 (US$1.8) per kg for durian.
About eight years ago, the orchard owners began inviting friends during the harvest season to introduce them to fruits grown in the provinces of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.
Since the fruits cultivated in Ninh Thuan Province have a much higher quality than others planted in the Mekong Delta, and a higher productivity rate, farmers now earn about three times more than they made from rice or corn.
Phan Huu Thanh, a farmer from Lam Son Commune in Ninh Son District, said he started a fruit orchard in 1990 and now has about 2.3ha with 370 plants of various kinds of fruit, including durian, mangosteen, green grapefruit and rambutan.
He earns about VND150 million ($7,000) per year.
Most orchard owners collect an average of VND40,000 ($1.8) per visitor, he said, adding that most visitors book a day or week before the harvest season. There is no need to buy a ticket, but visitors must pay for the fruit they pick.
To protect the orchard from damage, Thanh receives no more than 50 visitors a day.
Nguyen Thi Hoa, from Da Lat, said her family visits Thanh’s fruit orchard every harvest season to pick fruit and enjoy chicken dishes made with fruit.
Lam Son Commune has about 210 households cultivating fruit on a total of 236ha that once was used to grow rice or corn.
Truong Thanh Quyen, chairman of the commune’s People’s Committee, said the fruit orchards had improved the lives of local farmers, who have been encouraged to expand their orchards.
Besides fruit orchards, the province is developing the cultivation of vineyard grapes for winemaking.
About 400 households cultivate grapes on a total area of 180ha in Ninh Hai District, according to Luu Xuan Hai, the deputy chairman of Ninh Hai District’s Vinh Hai Commune.
Chau Thanh Hai, director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the department was working with other districts and cities in the province to expand the fruit orchard model. – VNS