Building a strong brand for Ha Giang’s thick-skinned orange

Ha Giang Province currently has nearly 3,800ha of thick-skinned oranges

The harvesting season of Ha Giang’s thick-skinned orange lasts from December to March. Oranges of this kind have a sweet and fragrant taste. They can be eaten directly or juiced, and are great for making smoothies or fresh juices, all offering a distinctive delicious flavor.

According to nutrition and health experts, regularly eating thick-skinned oranges will boost the body’s resistance, promote a rosy complexion, prevent acne, reduce the risk of common colds, benefit the heart, and enhance the immune function.

Because of these characteristics, on October 10, 2016, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Decision 4092/QD-SHTT to grant Geographical Indication Registration Certificate 00052 for Ha Giang’s thick-skinned orange. The Ha Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for managing this geographical indication.

The thick-skinned orange is one of the key crops in the agricultural restructuring strategy of the province, primarily grown in the three districts of Vi Xuyen, Bac Quang, and Quang Binh. The province currently has nearly 3,800ha of thick-skinned oranges. As part of the sustainable development project for thick-skinned oranges, 260 households have received loans to invest in improving the quality of the fruit grown in an area of over 467ha. The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies’ branch in Ha Giang Province has provided these households with loans totaling over VND22.3 billion.

Ha Giang Province has issued several mechanisms and support policies to encourage the development of thick-skinned oranges. These include Resolution 04 of the Provincial Party Committee and Resolution 58 of the Provincial People’s Council. These resolutions have created breakthroughs that elevate the thick-skinned orange as a key crop in the agricultural restructuring strategy of the province.

The family of Nguyen The Huy in Viet Lam Commune is an experienced grower of thick-skinned oranges in Vi Xuyen District. Over 2ha of orange is the main source of income for his family. In 2022, his family received a VND100-million loan under Resolution 58 of the Provincial People’s Council to improve their orchard and the quality of oranges.

In 2019, 5ha of thick-skinned oranges grown by Ly Van Canh’s family in Tien Kieu Commune, Bac Quang District suffered from fruit drop, yellowing leaves, and low yields and quality. At that time, Canh considered switching to other fruit crops. However, in early 2021, he received a VND90-million loan under Resolution 58 of the Provincial People’s Council and invested in soil improvement, intensive farming, and care for the orange orchard. Now, the entire area of his orange trees is thriving, yielding 10-13 tonnes of fruit per hectare annually.

Major policies of the provincial Party Committee and government have laid a vital foundation for the sustainable development of thick-skinned oranges, ensuring ecological balance, increasing income, and creating jobs for local residents. Based on this foundation, the province aims to maintain a stable cultivation area of 5,000ha for the fruit by 2025. Until 2030, efforts will focus on applying intensive farming practices to enhance productivity and quality, while building a value chain linking production, processing, and consumption across 100 percent of the cultivation area. Notably, the province has mechanisms to provide direct post-investment support for organizations and individuals investing in thick-skinned orange processing plants.