The Na Ka plum valley area in Co Do ward, Moc Chau township has more than 100 hectares of plums. From the time the plum trees start flowering, local households have been actively fertilising and monitoring pests. Nguyen Thi Huyen, the owner of an over-2-hectare plum orchard, said that after hosting tourists for plum blossom check-in, the plum orchard has now entered the fruit-setting stage. Her family is focusing on fertilising, ensuring adequate irrigation and nutrition. The use of plant protection products follows the "4 right” principle: the right pesticide, the right dosage, the right timing, and the right method. Clusters of too many fruits will be thinned out to focus the nutrients on producing larger, healthier fruits free from pests, thus improving product quality.

Meanwhile, the Moc Chau Youth Cooperative is guiding member households and linked farms to actively care for over 10 hectares of plums that are currently in the fruit-setting stage. Phung Van Kha, Director of the cooperative, shared that in recent years, the weather has showed unfavourable developments, but thanks to the members' efforts in proper care, fertilising, and pest control at the right time, combined with the use of a drip irrigation system which automatically maintains humidity, the yield and quality have been ensured. Each year, the cooperative harvests and sells over 300 tonnes of plums, mainly to clean food supermarkets and stores inside and outside the province. Its members also sell plums on e-commerce platforms, livestreaming from the orchard to introduce and sell products on social media.

With a total area of nearly 3,500 hectares, Moc Chau township boasts the largest plum area in the province. It has directed specialised agencies to collaborate with communes and wards to guide cooperatives and plum growers to implement care measures, control pests, and minimising damage from the adverse effects of weather as the plum trees are about to set fruit.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, Director of the Moc Chau Agricultural Technical Centre, said that at this time, high humidity is creating favourable conditions for the development of pests and diseases. Therefore, the centre is guiding cooperatives and local plum farmers to proactively supplement nutrients, use fertilisers with a high nitrogen content, adjust irrigation amounts to maintain soil moisture, and apply microbial treatments in the soil using lime powder and some plant protection products in the approved list. Farmers are also urged to continue to prune and remove low-quality fruits to ensure the stable development of the plum trees.

With their hard work and years of experience, Moc Chau farmers are striving to produce high-quality plums that meet the growing demands of the market.