Ms.Yen (on the right) shares about the sweet grapefruit caring techniques

Talking about the technique of growing sweet grapefruit, Ms. Yen said: When propagating, it is necessary to ensure that the mother tree (the tree used for grafting and propagation) is not infected with pests or diseases, especially two dangerous diseases: yellow leaf greening disease and blight disease.

The hole for planting grapefruit needs to be dug at least 60 x 60 cm wide and about 50 cm deep, then put composted manure, lime powder and NPK compound fertilizer into the hole before planting; when placing the seedlings, do not let the grapefruit roots come into direct contact with NPK fertilizer as this will cause root rot. After 2-3 years of planting, it is necessary to carefully prune and create a canopy for the grapefruit to develop properly and increase its resistance to falling, facilitating future fruit harvests.

In addition, it is necessary to apply enough macro and micro fertilizers, and do a good job of pest control so that the grapefruit can grow well and the fruit has a beautiful appearance... Every year, after harvesting the fruit, it is necessary to do a good job of pruning branches to create a canopy, fertilizing with composted manure and NPK fertilizer, and whitewashing the grapefruit roots to kill harmful fungi and lichens.

It is known that in addition to growing sweet grapefruit, Ms. Yen’s family also cultivates nearly 1.0 ha of rice and 1.0 ha of corn. In addition, Ms. Yen’s family also promotes the development of free-range chicken farming; develops the raising of 7-8 commercial pigs and 4-5 buffaloes…

To improve the efficiency of organic fertilizers from livestock, Ms. Yen collects livestock and poultry manure and mixes it with phosphate fertilizer and lime powder to compost the manure before applying it to plants. This technique not only helps plants grow with high productivity but also increases the fertility of the cultivated land.

To successfully develop livestock farming, Ms. Yen always pays attention to selecting good breeds, keeping barns clean and cool in the summer, and covering and keeping barns warm in the winter. In addition, Ms. Yen always does a good job of cleaning barns and vaccinating livestock and poultry against diseases. Thanks to that, her family's livestock and poultry always grow well and are disease-free.

According to Ms. Yen, when developing livestock combined with crop cultivation, farmers will save money in buying inorganic fertilizers such as NPK fertilizer and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, when applying composted manure to crops, it also contributes to improving the soil and supplementing micronutrients for plants. Therefore, applying manure will contribute to improving the productivity and quality of crops, especially for sweet grapefruit gardens...

When being asked about income, Ms. Yen said: From 2021 to now, the total annual income from the sweet grapefruit garden is from 450 million to 500 million VND, after deducting investment costs such as NPK fertilizer, pesticides, seasonal labor... the profit is about 400 million VND. Income from raising free-range chickens, pigs, buffaloes... is about 450 million VND each year, after deducting costs such as seeds, veterinary medicine... the profit is about 300 million VND. 

Mr. Phan Van Cong, Chairman of Vinh Hao Commune People's Committee, said: Ms. Hoang Thi Yen's family is one of the typical examples of the commune in developing household economy. Not only combining livestock development with crop cultivation, especially developing sweet grapefruit for high income, Ms. Yen is also an example in the process of helping members in Coc Van village with seeds and techniques to contribute to increasing income and enriching the locality.