Growing vegetables in Tien Giang province’s Chau Thanh district. (Photo: VNA) Tien Giang (VNS/VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Tien Gianghas developed specialised vegetable growing areas thatyield higher profits than rice.
They include vegetable areas in Chau Thanh district, watermelon areas in DongThap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) area, and lemongrass areas in Tan Phu Dong district.
Tan Phu Dong has more than 1,350ha of lemongrass, with an average annual yieldof 15 – 17 tonnes per hectare.
The district supplies more than 22,000 tonnes of lemongrass for herbaland medicinal use a year.
Last month the district was awarded the “Tan Phu Dong Lemongrass”collective brandname by the National Office of Intellectual Property.
To meet market demand, farmers in specialised vegetable areas are growing newvarieties that have high yield and quality, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Cao Van Hoa, deputy director of the department, said the average profit ofthese areas is 170 - 200 million VND (7,300 – 8,600 USD) million perhectare a year, three to four times higher than the profit from high-yieldrice.
Farmers are being encouraged to expand fields and rotate vegetables and rice onrice fields.
The province planted more than 57,700ha of vegetables in the first ninemonths of the year, including 10,000ha of vegetables rotated in ricefields.
Farmers are using plastic sheets to cover the ground to preventpests and are also building nethouses.
Nguyen Van Ba, who grows honeydew melons in a 1,000 sq.m nethouse in My city’sMy Phong commune, said that melons were not difficult to grow but that farmersneeded quality seeds and new farming techniques.
Nethouse cultivation of melons uses less fertiliser and pesticides, andthe plants have fewer diseases and a more stable yield, he said.
“The cultivation of honeydew melons in nethouses offer high profits,” he said.
The province’s vegetable co-operatives and co-operative groups haveexpanded clean vegetable cultivation to supply produce to supermarkets andcollective kitchens in and outside the province.
The province’s localities are also co-operating with companiesthat guarantee outlets for farmers. In Chau Thanh district, forinstance, local authorities are working with Sai Gon Farm, a clean vegetablegrowing company in Ho Chi Minh City, to plant clean vegetables on a 20ha area.
The area will increase to 100ha beginning in 2020, according to thedistrict’s Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau.
Sai Gon Farm provides farmers with advanced techniques for growingvegetables, harvesting vegetables, and initial processing.
Farmers working with companies are guaranteed outlets for theirproducts at a fixed price, which is decided at the beginning of thecrop./.
VNA
