An organic vegetable farm in Tan Lac District, Hoa Binh province (Source: danviet.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) - Farmers and enterprises have met many difficulties in producing and selling organic produce due to the shortage of good seeds, training and cultivated land, said agricultural experts.
Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soil, ecosystems and people, according to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
Nguyen Thi Lien, owner of the Tue Vien organic farm, told the Kinh te do thi (Economics and Urban) newspaper that as farmers do not use fertilisers or chemical plant protection substances to grow organic crops, they need varieties that can resist pestilent insects.
The State should invest more in research on strains for the cultivation of organic vegetables, Lien said.
Hoang Thi Hau, chairwoman of the Thanh Xuan Commune Farmers' Association in Hanoi's Soc Son District, said that customers' demand for organic vegetables is greater, but expanding the cultivation area is difficult.
Farmers need more training on the growth of organic vegetables as well as funding to expand their cultiva tion area.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should popularise technology for the cultivation of organic vegetables, she said. The municipal authorities should support the farmers with funding to join fairs and support enterprises in spreading information about organic vegetables' quality so that they could bring the produce to customers more effectively, said Hau.
Dao Duy Tam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in the future, the department would focus on giving training to farmers and help them change from traditional farming to organic crops cultivation.
Coupled with providing information on organic crops' value to customers, the department plans to ask city authorities to enact policies that encourage enterprises to invest in organic cultivation.
Nguyen Duy Hong, director of the Hanoi Department of Plant Protection, said that IFOAM and the Vietnam Association of Organic Agriculture should support Hanoi with manpower to set up a model of organic vegetables cultivation.-VNA
