The golden land of crab apple trees

Ngoc Chien Commune, Son La Province, has long been known as a golden land of hawthorn trees (son tra). Ngoc Chien currently has a total hawthorn area of ​​up to 2,659 hectares, of which more than 1,200 hectares belong to Nam Nghep village. This is the village with the largest hawthorn area in the commune, with more than 1,000 hectares of natural ancient hawthorn trees - hawthorn trees that have existed for hundreds of years.

The elders in the village recount that since their ancestors settled here, large apple trees tens of meters high have been an indispensable part of this land. In addition to the natural apple trees, from the state's 327 and 661 afforestation programs, Ngoc Chien has added more than 1,000 hectares of new apple trees, with ages ranging from 20 to 40 years. Currently, people continue to plant more saplings to maintain and develop the apple acreage.

Hawthorn fruit is a natural gift to Ngoc Chien land in general and Nam Nghep in particular. (Photo: NVCC)

Ngoc Chien hawthorn is grown in villages with an altitude of over 1,000m, but is most special in Nam Nghep, where the altitude is 2,000m. The cool climate, special soil and direct sunlight create apples with the highest sugar, water and nutrient content. Therefore, Nam Nghep hawthorn is likened to "a young girl's peach cheeks", standing out with its smooth pink skin and sweet white flesh.

The apple blossom season usually begins in March, after 7 months, the apples ripen in October, marking the busiest harvest time of the year. Currently, the crab apples in Nam Nghep are still harvested entirely by hand. People will pick each apple one by one to avoid dropping or damage. With an average yield of 2 tons/ha, the entire Ngoc Chien commune achieves a yield of more than 3,000 tons of fresh fruit per crop.

Nam Nghep hawthorn is likened to "a young girl's peach cheeks". (Photo: NVCC)

Although hawthorn is the main crop, the economic value it brings to the people here is still not really stable. In previous years, the price of apples in the garden could reach 30,000 VND/kg, but recently, traders only buy at 5,000-7,000 VND/kg, making people's lives more difficult.

Finding a stable outlet and increasing the value of hawthorn products is a big problem for the government and people of Ngoc Chien. Even Mr. Nguyen Chien Sy - Secretary of the Party Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, a dedicated cadre of the 8X generation, did not hesitate to post information about selling hawthorn to people of Ngoc Chien commune on his personal Facebook page, with the hope that each kilogram of hawthorn from the people will be welcomed by customers everywhere.

Nam Nghep apples are considered "pure gold" that the Northwest mountains and forests bestow upon the people of Nam Nghep. (Photo: NVCC)

That shows that Ngoc Chien people are holding in their hands the "pure gold" of the Northwest mountains and forests but have not found a way to help consume and improve the quality of their products to help people escape poverty and get rich.

Realize the dream of getting rich from hawthorn fruit

At the 1st Congress of Delegates, term 2025-2030, Ngoc Chien Commune Party Committee set out clear orientations for local economic development, including important contents such as: Developing specialized areas; Applying technology, combining tourism and agriculture; Especially developing cooperatives.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Nghep Cooperative, the economic development orientations of the Ngoc Chien Commune Party Committee have given Nam Nghep Cooperative a very clear compass on the new development path of the Cooperative. From that Resolution, Nam Nghep Cooperative has quickly started to implement practical activities.

Specifically, Nam Nghep Cooperative has organized study trips to Lai Chau province to learn about community tourism models and medicinal plant cultivation. Along with that, Nam Nghep village in particular and Ngoc Chien commune in general have received support from many managers and scientists in the fields of agriculture and medicinal plants in recent years.

In Nam Nghep village, people have started to grow medicinal herbs such as Panax ginseng, Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, and especially expanding the Son Tra apple garden. Regarding tourism, the Cooperative has built experiential tours such as Love Bus, Ta Tao mountain climbing, salmon hunting, art summer camp, etc. All activities are linked to the dual goal of both increasing income and preserving the indigenous culture and the homeland's mountains and forests.

Hawthorn fruit is expected to help Ngoc Chien land escape poverty and become rich.

In its new development orientation, Nam Nghep Cooperative chose hawthorn because this is a native tree that has been associated with the lives of the Mong Ngoc Chien people for generations. Previously, hawthorn was only used in the family or sold raw at low value. But if processed, the economic and medicinal value of hawthorn will be many times higher. The biggest advantage of hawthorn is that it is both a precious medicinal herb and suitable for the climate and soil of the highlands. This is the way for people to get rich sustainably from their traditional crops.

The vision of Nam Nghep Cooperative is to build the brand “Nam Nghep Son Tra Apple” not only as an agricultural product, but also as a cultural symbol of the highlands. This brand will be associated with the image of the largest apple forest in Vietnam, with eco-tourism and the culture of the Mong community.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong himself in particular as well as all the people of Ngoc Chien commune in general wish that the products from Nam Nghep hawthorn fruit are not only present in the domestic market but also aimed at export, so that international friends know about Nam Nghep. This will help the people here escape poverty and become rich.

This year's apple season is considered more special because Nam Nghep Cooperative has begun to process products from hawthorn fruit, not just selling fresh fruit. Currently, from Son Tra apples, Nam Nghep Cooperative has wine, syrup, jam, tea, vinegar. The Cooperative is also experimenting with other products from medicinal herbs and hawthorn fruit such as shampoo, shower gel, soap... These are the initial but very important steps to confirm that Nam Nghep hawthorn can become the main economic tree of the village.

Products made from wild apples are being produced by Nam Nghep Cooperative with the hope of helping local people have a new job that can help them escape poverty and become rich. (Photo: NVCC)

Not staying out of the digital economic trend, Nam Nghep Cooperative also brought Nam Nghep hawthorn fruit and products made from this product to e-commerce platforms. “When bringing Son Tra apple products to e-commerce platforms, we expect to expand the market, helping people directly reach consumers across the country. Thereby, the value of the product will be more transparent and sustainable, avoiding the situation of “good harvest, low price” as before. At the same time, this is also a way for us to bring the story of Nam Nghep, the Mong people and the Ta Tao mountains and forests closer to customers”, Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong shared.

The Nam Nghep apple season is about to end. Besides the revenue figures, according to Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, the biggest thing that he and the people here "harvest" is the confidence of each person. Farmers in the Ngoc Chien mountains now know that their products can be sold online and have customers near and far who trust them. The people here have begun to change their production mindset, focusing on quality and product stories. That is a more valuable achievement than any number, because the change in awareness will open a long-term path for the Nam Nghep Cooperative and for the whole village.