An orange orchard of a 3T Farm member (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

Founded 6 years ago with 7 people, 3T Farm now has 15 members. Last year the Cooperative was one of 35 winners in the Women’s Creative Startup Competition organized by the Vietnam Women's Union Central Committee.

Vu Thi Le Thuy, 3T Farm’s Director, said that the cooperative has 21 hectares of orange cultivation land, all of which follows the VietGap standards. Its annual orange output is 350 tons, which is sold to food stores as far south as Da Nang.

“Our fresh oranges were certified as a 4-star OCOP provincial product in 2020. What makes Cao Phong oranges stand out is a climate and soil suited to citrus fruit. The weather is often 2 to 4 degrees Celsius lower than in other regions, giving Cao Phong oranges a stronger aroma and taste,” said Thuy.

3T Farm-branded oranges (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

Cao Phong district grows 10 types of oranges and tangerines which are much sought after in the market. After being harvested, the oranges are transported to a factory where they are sorted, ozone cleaned, dried, and packaged. All products of the cooperative have a traceability stamp and origin information.

Luong Van Thao, who works at 3T Farm, said, “Our goal is to produce safe oranges and protect the environment and consumers’ health. My family has more than a hectare with 1,000 trees. One hectare produces 18-20 tons of oranges. 3T Farm purchases all of its members’ products.”

3T Farm processes other products, including orange marmalade, orange powder, chrysanthemum tea, male papaya flower tea, and butterfly pea flower tea. The Cooperative has pioneered using e-diaries to track production and has received strong support from its members, who follow the motto "Good variety, good soil, and good from heart".

According to Mai Thi Hanh, a 3T Farm member, in her 2-hectare orchard, she grows 6 types of oranges, including yellow-heart, Canh, and V2 oranges.

“A kilo of Canh oranges sells for more than 2 USD. We earn nearly 16,500 USD a year from growing oranges, of which 6,200 USD goes to costs and workers’ wages,” said Hanh.

Thanks to participating in 3T Farm, every member now has a stable income. 3T Farm has also created jobs for local workers.

Muong-ethnic Nguyen Thi Lan told VOV that her family has participated in 3T Farm since its inception.

“The cooperative sent us for training and had district agriculture experts visit the orchard and share their orange-growing experience. Since we joined the cooperative, our life has improved. We have enough money to hire local workers for the harvest,” said Lan, added, “My family has a processing factory that employs 3 workers. During the harvest season, we employ 20 workers.”

Vu Thi Le Thuy, 3T Farm’s director (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

To expand the market, in addition to social networks, 3T Farm has coordinated with the Cao Phong district Post Office to sell oranges and other products on the Postmart e-commerce platform.

3T Farm products are now available in many provinces and cities nationwide, including Hanoi, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City.