Bac Ha preserves valuable fruit genes in white plateau

A “treasure trove” on the white plateau

Amid the cool climate that characterizes the “white plateau” of Bac Ha, the pear, peach, and plum orchards at the Bac Ha Fruit and Vegetable Research and Propagation Station, under the Agricultural Seed Center of Lao Cai Province, are entering a period of post-harvest care and recovery.

The fruit tree-covered hillsides are not only a production base for seedlings but are also regarded as a valuable “gene bank,” preserving unique temperate fruit varieties native to the highlands of Lao Cai.

According to the first-quarter 2026 implementation report, the Agricultural Seed Center of Lao Cai Province currently maintains and manages an extensive fruit tree system at the Vegetable and Fruit Seed Research and Production Farm in Bac Ha. This includes a 1-hectare mother-tree orchard dedicated to genetic resource conservation; a 5-hectare germplasm collection orchard preserving pear, peach, Tam Hoa plum, persimmon and various local varieties; a 1-hectare Tam Hoa plum orchard; and 2 hectares of pear and peach orchards used for research, variety trials and seedling production.

These figures reflect the center’s sustained efforts to preserve fruit tree varieties indigenous to one of the few temperate-climate regions in northern Vietnam. They also provide an important foundation for developing high-quality commercial fruit production linked to ecotourism and agricultural tourism in Bac Ha.

Mr. Ha Van Quang, Director of the Agricultural Seed Center of Lao Cai Province, said that conserving and developing temperate fruit varieties is a strategic mission aimed not only at preserving valuable genetic resources but also at supporting the restructuring of the agricultural sector toward higher value-added production.

According to Mr. Ha Van Quang, Lao Cai Province possesses unique climatic conditions that few localities in Vietnam can match. Without a well-planned strategy for conservation, selection and development, temperate fruit varieties such as local pears, peaches and plums could gradually disappear. For this reason, the center is focusing not only on preserving genetic resources but also on selecting high-yield, high-quality varieties for large-scale production, thereby helping improve incomes in the province’s highland areas.

Turning valuable varieties into an economic advantage

Beyond serving as a repository of genetic resources, the Vegetable and Fruit Seed Research and Production Farm in Bac Ha is also a testing ground for new fruit varieties. The Agricultural Seed Center of Lao Cai Province is currently collaborating with research institutions, including the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, to monitor and manage a 0.5-hectare experimental orchard of temperate fruit trees. The project aims to evaluate varietal adaptability, fruit quality and economic performance under local growing conditions.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Duong said that cultivating temperate fruit trees requires strict technical procedures and close monitoring throughout each stage of growth and development.

In 2026, the Vegetable and Fruit Seed Research and Production Farm in Bac Ha is focusing on the care of grafted seedlings to ensure an adequate supply of planting materials for production, with an estimated output of around 150,000 fruit tree seedlings, including pears, peaches, plums and several new fruit varieties. At the same time, the station is planting rootstocks for the next production cycle to secure propagation materials for future years.

The effectiveness of these conservation efforts has been clearly demonstrated in practice. According to Mr. Hoang Van Su, a pear farmer in Bac Ha, the pear varieties supplied by the Bac Ha Fruit and Vegetable Research and Propagation Station are vigorous, have high fruit-setting rates and consistently produce quality fruit. His family already has more than one hectare of pear orchards in production, and thanks to high-quality planting stock and strong yields, they have risen out of poverty and achieved a comfortable standard of living.

Mrs. Vang Thi My, a plum grower in Lung Phinh, said that grafted Tam Hoa plum varieties produce more attractive and sweeter fruit, mature earlier, and generate a good income for her family.

Mr. Ha Van Quang, Director of the Agricultural Seed Center of Lao Cai Province, said that in order to conserve and develop the valuable genetic resources of temperate fruit varieties, the center will continue maintaining mother-tree orchards, monitoring and evaluating new varieties, and strengthening quality control of seedlings before they are supplied to the market. At the same time, it will work closely with local authorities to establish commercial production areas for pears, peaches, and plums while providing technical support and technology transfer to farmers.

Amid the windswept highlands of Bac Ha, mother pear, peach and plum trees are carefully nurtured and tended every day. This is not only an effort to preserve the valuable fruit varieties of the highlands of Lao Cai Province, but also a commitment to cultivating a greener, more sustainable and distinctive agricultural future for generations to come.