Located about 15 kilometers from the centre of Yen Chau commune, Phieng Khoai is home to numerous fruit orchards, making it an attractive destination for short trips and hands-on experiences. Each fruit season brings a distinct landscape, offering visitors new reasons to return.

“I often visit Phieng Khoai with my family and friends on weekends. As a photography enthusiast, I have captured many beautiful moments here,” said Lo Van Vinh, a resident of Residential Area 19/5 in Yen Chau commune. “Every visit brings new experiences, especially during fruit season, when the scenery changes from moment to moment.”

In An Hung hamlet, the Navel orange orchard owned by Dinh Van Van, a member of the Kien Cuong Cooperative, has become a popular destination. His family has about 500 mature Navel orange trees grafted onto pomelo rootstock and planted in 2020, along with more than 500 younger trees. This year's output is expected to reach around 50 tonnes.

To give visitors a firsthand look at local farming, the family offers free orchard visits, introduces orange-growing and cultivation techniques, and lets guests pick ripe fruit themselves. Oranges are sold directly from the orchard for about 60,000 VND (2.32 USD) per kg. The initiative allows the family to showcase product quality, expand sales channels and gradually combine agricultural production with experiential tourism.

Navel oranges are known for their large size, thin peel, juicy seedless flesh, rich sweetness and distinctive aroma, Van said. The variety was introduced to Phieng Khoai through grafting onto existing pomelo rootstock. Local climate and soil conditions have proved suitable for the crop, delivering strong economic returns for farmers, he added.

The Kien Cuong Cooperative currently has around 10 hectares of Navel orange orchards, most established by grafting onto pomelo rootstock. Member households prioritise organic fertilisers and biological products, while applying appropriate cultivation and care techniques to improve fruit quality.

Navel oranges are well suited to the local climate and soil, produce high yields and require relatively modest cultivation and maintenance costs compared with some other orange varieties, said Nguyen Thi Nguyet, deputy director of the cooperative. Consumers have responded positively to the fruit's quality, with prices ranging from 50,000 to 70,000 VND per kg, depending on grade.

Phieng Khoai currently has around 50 hectares of Navel orange orchards, including 20 hectares that have reached stable production, with yields of 20-25 tonnes per hectare. Total output across the commune is forecast at approximately 500 tonnes this year.

The harvest season, running from mid-October into the early months of the following year, enables growers to supply the market over several months. It also creates opportunities to combine product promotion and direct sales with seasonal orchard visits, supporting the development of tourism linked to agricultural production.

The commune plans to expand orange cultivation alongside a more diverse range of fruit crops, while encouraging farmers to develop suitable growing areas in line with local plans and apply scientific and technical advances to crop care and pest management, said Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the Phieng Khoai commune People's Committee.

Local authorities are also working to build the product's brand, pursue VietGAP and OCOP standards, and introduce QR-code-based traceability. These efforts aim to improve quality, strengthen consumer confidence and enhance the product's competitiveness, he said. 

To expand the market for Navel oranges, Phieng Khoai plans to work with digital content creators and social media influencers to livestream sales on TikTok and Facebook. The broadcasts will showcase production, harvesting and packaging processes. Through digital platforms, the orange and its growing region are expected to reach more customers and gain access to wider markets.

The Navel orange season is generating income for local growers while opening up new opportunities for experiential tourism in Phieng Khoai. By improving product quality, expanding sales channels and making better use of its orchard tourism potential, the commune is working to increase the value of local agricultural produce, promote its image as a border region and support sustainable economic development./.