Fruit gardens in Đồng Nai Province are struggling with attracting visitors, as erratic weather is leading to uneven fruit ripening. — Photo laodong.vn

ĐỒNG NAI — Garden ecotourism in the southern province of Đồng Nai has been facing challenges due to climate change, leading to uneven fruit ripening.

In recent years, the garden ecotourism model in Đồng Nai has been growing. With vast agriculture land and a variety of fruit trees, the province has attracted tourists to visit, take photos and enjoy seasonal fruits.

In Bình Lộc Commune, a locality where the garden ecotourism model is well-developed, rambutan, durian, and mango gardens used to attract thousands of visitors each week in previous years.

However, this year’s garden tourism has been disrupted by erratic weather – unseasonal rains combined with intense heat – which has caused uneven flowering, lower fruit-setting rates and reduced yields.

Many garden owners have had to turn away tourists or postpone their visits as there is not enough ripe fruit to serve them.

Huỳnh Vũ Bảo Giang, owner of Dì Hai Garden at Bình Lộc Commune, said that this year’s inconsistent weather has disrupted flowering and fruit setting. Rambutan is ripening irregularly, making it difficult to schedule regular opening times for visitors.

Giang also said that he regularly updates the status of his garden on social media so that visitors can check before planning their trips.

Trần Quốc Phong, owner of Út Tiêu Garden in Bình Lộc Commune, said that although the tourism season has started, uneven fruit ripening in two separate batches has disrupted his services.

To attract and retain visitors, the garden has developed some additional activities such as folk games, fish catching, boating, enjoying regional cuisine, and overnight camping.

Phong also said that they have partnered with other gardens in the commune to share information on ripening schedules for different fruits, which helps them collectively arrange tourist visits.

According to reports from specialised fruit farming areas in Long Khánh City, Định Quán District and Trảng Bom District, this year’s off-season and irregular fruit ripening have been common in rambutan, durian, mangosteen and jackfruit.

Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Bảo Vinh Ward, said that the yields of some fruits are down over 30 per cent year-on-year.

The ward has advised households to collaborate and regularly exchange information on fruit ripening so that guests do not visit gardens when their fruits are not ripe.

Trần Đăng Ninh, chairman of the Đồng Nai Tourism Association, said that the uneven ripening of fruits is an inevitable trend as climate change is becoming increasingly complicated, and locals must proactively adapt.

Instead of relying solely on one harvest season, garden owners should develop year-round experiential tourism products such as tree-planting and sampling local cuisine.

As agricultural products are important in expanding garden ecotourism, gardeners should adopt appropriate irrigation and fertilisation techniques to limit off-season harvests.

Ninh also said that local authorities would support gardeners in applying advanced technologies such as automated irrigation, growth-regulating lighting and intercropping short-term crops to keep tourists engaged when the main crops are not in season.

Additionally, the agricultural and tourism authorities in the locality should connect orchards, cooperatives and travel agencies to jointly arrange tours and maintain the professional image of Đồng Nai’s agricultural tourism. — VNS