The Vanh Khuyen persimmons are native to the district, which borders China. The district has a total of 800 ha dedicated to persimmons cultivation in the communes of Tan My, Hoang Viet, Hong Thai and Hoang Van Thu, which produce approximately 2,400 tons of the fruit every year. |
Lang Van Chin of Na Puc Hamlet, Hoang Van Thu Commune, uses a long bamboo stick with a cloth bag at one end to harvest the persimmons. |
The harvesting begins at 5 a.m. so as to retain the overnight freshness of the fruits. |
Lang Van Vang smiles as he plucks low hanging fruit from his persimmon farm in Po Cai Hamlet, Tan My Commune. |
Vang said the distinguishing feature of Vanh Khuyen persimmons is a full blossom-like sepal with round fruits, no seeds and a crunchy, sweet taste. As the fruits age, the sepal would appear more defined, which sets a clear aesthetic standard for this area’s produce. |
The Tan My Commune has 284 ha of persimmon farms, with six households holding the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP), certifying the clean and safe production methods used locally. |
"Harvesting takes a lot of time, so we usually gather the fruits by some tree stumps to take a break before taking them down to sell. In four hours, my wife and I were able harvest around 50 kg," said Hoang Van Minh, a resident of Thong Nhat Hamlet. |
With farms some distance away from their homes, locals set gathering points before transporting all the fruits back home on motorbikes. |
The mountainous Van Lang District is blanketed by the canopy of persimmon trees. |
Good persimmons have gleaming skins with a chartreuse shade, a crispy texture and a gentle sweet taste, farmers say. |
Around September, retailers from northern cities and provinces visit Van Lang District to source persimmons for the urban market. The fruits are submerged in water for about four days to remove their outer tannin layer. |
Van Lang is mainly inhabited by the Nung and Tay ethnic minority communities who sustain themselves mainly with rice and persimmon farming. |