Honeydew melons grown in a net house with drip irrigation in Dong Thap province (Photo: baodongthap.vn) Dong Thap (VNS/VNA) – TheMekong Delta province of Dong Thap has encouraged farmers and farming companiesto improve the efficiency of their irrigation to increase yields and reducescosts.
They have adopted spray anddrip irrigation for nearly 25,000ha of crops.
Efficient irrigation improvesyields by 25 percent and saves 45 percent water, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This translates into 20 percenthigher incomes. It also helps crops cope well with conditions likedrought and climate change.
Le Vu Hung of Lap Vo district’sTan Khanh Trung commune invested in a drip irrigation system in 2018 for his4,000sq.m net house where he grows cucumber, honeydew melon and othervegetables fruits.
It helps him grow clean cropsand save labour costs since irrigation is controlled automatically.
He can grow four crops a yearin the net house and earn an annual income of 600 – 800 million VND (25,800 –34,500 USD).
Many fruit farmers in Chau Thanhand Lai Vung districts and Cao Lanh city use efficient irrigation systems, thussaving 25.8 million VND (1,100 USD) per hectare per year, according to thedepartment.
The province has providedsubsidies to farmers in many districts for building net houses with efficientirrigation systems to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, andother crops in recent years.
The province is one of thelargest producers in the delta of rice, mango and flower, and 70 percent of itspopulation lives in rural areas.
Yet, efficient irrigationsystems remain few and far between, understandably so since the cost ofinstalling them is high and many farmers cannot afford them, according to thedepartment.
Besides, spray irrigation requireslarge use of power, which the local grid cannot meet since it barely meetshousehold demand.
Many farmers in the province infact depend on diesel pumps to irrigate their crops.
Authorities encourage farmersto invest in solar power systems for irrigation.
In Thap Muoi district, theBureau of Agriculture and Rural Development has provided subsidies to somefarmers to invest in solar power.
Nguyen Duong Tien of Thap Muoi’sThanh My commune, spent about 130 million VND (5,600 USD), including 30 millionVND worth of subsidy from the bureau, to install a solar system last year.
He now saves 1.3 – 1.5 millionVND (56 – 65 USD) a month while irrigating his 1.2ha fruit orchard.
He expects to recover the costof the solar system within five to six years and the system has a guaranteeperiod of 20 years.
“Using a solar power system cansave much money and surplus power can be sold to the power grid.”
Bui Van Son, deputy head of thebureau, said the bureau would collaborate with relevant agencies to furtheradvocate solar power and encourage farmers to invest in it.
“This will help save productioncosts and increase efficiency”./.
They have adopted spray anddrip irrigation for nearly 25,000ha of crops.
Efficient irrigation improvesyields by 25 percent and saves 45 percent water, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This translates into 20 percenthigher incomes. It also helps crops cope well with conditions likedrought and climate change.
Le Vu Hung of Lap Vo district’sTan Khanh Trung commune invested in a drip irrigation system in 2018 for his4,000sq.m net house where he grows cucumber, honeydew melon and othervegetables fruits.
It helps him grow clean cropsand save labour costs since irrigation is controlled automatically.
He can grow four crops a yearin the net house and earn an annual income of 600 – 800 million VND (25,800 –34,500 USD).
Many fruit farmers in Chau Thanhand Lai Vung districts and Cao Lanh city use efficient irrigation systems, thussaving 25.8 million VND (1,100 USD) per hectare per year, according to thedepartment.
The province has providedsubsidies to farmers in many districts for building net houses with efficientirrigation systems to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, andother crops in recent years.
The province is one of thelargest producers in the delta of rice, mango and flower, and 70 percent of itspopulation lives in rural areas.
Yet, efficient irrigationsystems remain few and far between, understandably so since the cost ofinstalling them is high and many farmers cannot afford them, according to thedepartment.
Besides, spray irrigation requireslarge use of power, which the local grid cannot meet since it barely meetshousehold demand.
Many farmers in the province infact depend on diesel pumps to irrigate their crops.
Authorities encourage farmersto invest in solar power systems for irrigation.
In Thap Muoi district, theBureau of Agriculture and Rural Development has provided subsidies to somefarmers to invest in solar power.
Nguyen Duong Tien of Thap Muoi’sThanh My commune, spent about 130 million VND (5,600 USD), including 30 millionVND worth of subsidy from the bureau, to install a solar system last year.
He now saves 1.3 – 1.5 millionVND (56 – 65 USD) a month while irrigating his 1.2ha fruit orchard.
He expects to recover the costof the solar system within five to six years and the system has a guaranteeperiod of 20 years.
“Using a solar power system cansave much money and surplus power can be sold to the power grid.”
Bui Van Son, deputy head of thebureau, said the bureau would collaborate with relevant agencies to furtheradvocate solar power and encourage farmers to invest in it.
“This will help save productioncosts and increase efficiency”./.
VNA
