Farmers in Vinh Long, one of the main vegetable growing provinces in theMekong Delta, are busy planting crops ahead of Tet (Lunar New Year)next month and expecting a good harvest.
Bui ThiHong Tham, who has 2,000sq.m of land under vegetables in Tra Ondistrict's Thoi Hoa commune, said she was planting green bean, corn, andvarious kinds of herbs.
"Thanks to favourable weather, my vegetables are developing well and disease-free.
"I hope to have a bumper harvest and sell the vegetables at a good price."
Tra On farmers are growing of various vegetables like green onion,cabbage, bitter melon, and cucumber on around 250ha, according to localofficials.
In Long Ho district, farmers have begun growing vegetables for Tet since last December.
In Long Ho's Phuoc Hau commune, farmers are growing 60ha ofvegetables, with the Phuoc Hau Safe Vegetable Co-operative accountingfor a fourth of that.
Nguyen Van Xua, a member of the co-operative, said, "I grow cabbages and expect to have a good harvest this Tet.
"The co-operative has trained us in producing safe vegetables."
Nguyen Hoang Quy, deputy chairman of the Phuoc Hau Commune FarmersAssociation, said, "This Tet the co-operative has contracted to sellvegetables to supermarkets and companies in neighbouring provinces."
The association has also taught farmers techniques to grow clean vegetables, he said.
Tran Thanh Tam, who is growing watermelon for Tet in Long Ho's ThanhQuoi Commune, said, "My watermelons are likely to be harvested five daysbefore Tet."
Last year Tam grew rice at this time.
At the end of last year the area under vegetables in Vinh Long was up8.2 percent from 2013 at around 48,000ha, according to the provinceDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Itattributed the increase to some districts that are suitable for growingvegetables encouraging farmers to rotate between rice and other foodcrops.
They are advised to grow one rice crop andtwo others a year or at least one non-rice crop along with two ricecrops to earn higher profits, which could be two to five times theamount from just rice.
According to the department, afarmer who grows a winter-spring rice crop and two watermelon crops ayear can earn annual profits of 113 million VND (5,300 USD) per hectare.
The rotation of crops also helps improve thefertility of rice fields and reduces the cost of treating rice diseasesand pests, agriculture extension officials said.
Under a province plan to restructure agriculture in 2014-20, the area onwhich a third rice crop is grown will be reduced by 20 percent thisyear to 148,000ha.
District agriculture bureaus haveinstructed farmers to grow clean vegetables and co-operate withco-operatives and companies to guarantee outlets for their output.
Corn, soy bean, sesame, watermelon, winged yam have been identified as high-value crops for planting instead of rice.
Nguyen Van Duc, who grows winged yam on 1.3ha in Mang Thit district'sLong My commune, said he earned profits of 40-60 million VND (1,900-2,800 USD) per hectare per year.
"Winged yam does not need much care like rice and fetches higher profits than rice."
Ngo Viet Son, a local agriculture official, said many farmers hadswitched to winged yam and now the crop was grown on 26ha in thecommune.
There were plans to grow the vegetable on 30ha in Long Hoa 1 and 2 hamlets this year, he added.-VNA
Bui ThiHong Tham, who has 2,000sq.m of land under vegetables in Tra Ondistrict's Thoi Hoa commune, said she was planting green bean, corn, andvarious kinds of herbs.
"Thanks to favourable weather, my vegetables are developing well and disease-free.
"I hope to have a bumper harvest and sell the vegetables at a good price."
Tra On farmers are growing of various vegetables like green onion,cabbage, bitter melon, and cucumber on around 250ha, according to localofficials.
In Long Ho district, farmers have begun growing vegetables for Tet since last December.
In Long Ho's Phuoc Hau commune, farmers are growing 60ha ofvegetables, with the Phuoc Hau Safe Vegetable Co-operative accountingfor a fourth of that.
Nguyen Van Xua, a member of the co-operative, said, "I grow cabbages and expect to have a good harvest this Tet.
"The co-operative has trained us in producing safe vegetables."
Nguyen Hoang Quy, deputy chairman of the Phuoc Hau Commune FarmersAssociation, said, "This Tet the co-operative has contracted to sellvegetables to supermarkets and companies in neighbouring provinces."
The association has also taught farmers techniques to grow clean vegetables, he said.
Tran Thanh Tam, who is growing watermelon for Tet in Long Ho's ThanhQuoi Commune, said, "My watermelons are likely to be harvested five daysbefore Tet."
Last year Tam grew rice at this time.
At the end of last year the area under vegetables in Vinh Long was up8.2 percent from 2013 at around 48,000ha, according to the provinceDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Itattributed the increase to some districts that are suitable for growingvegetables encouraging farmers to rotate between rice and other foodcrops.
They are advised to grow one rice crop andtwo others a year or at least one non-rice crop along with two ricecrops to earn higher profits, which could be two to five times theamount from just rice.
According to the department, afarmer who grows a winter-spring rice crop and two watermelon crops ayear can earn annual profits of 113 million VND (5,300 USD) per hectare.
The rotation of crops also helps improve thefertility of rice fields and reduces the cost of treating rice diseasesand pests, agriculture extension officials said.
Under a province plan to restructure agriculture in 2014-20, the area onwhich a third rice crop is grown will be reduced by 20 percent thisyear to 148,000ha.
District agriculture bureaus haveinstructed farmers to grow clean vegetables and co-operate withco-operatives and companies to guarantee outlets for their output.
Corn, soy bean, sesame, watermelon, winged yam have been identified as high-value crops for planting instead of rice.
Nguyen Van Duc, who grows winged yam on 1.3ha in Mang Thit district'sLong My commune, said he earned profits of 40-60 million VND (1,900-2,800 USD) per hectare per year.
"Winged yam does not need much care like rice and fetches higher profits than rice."
Ngo Viet Son, a local agriculture official, said many farmers hadswitched to winged yam and now the crop was grown on 26ha in thecommune.
There were plans to grow the vegetable on 30ha in Long Hoa 1 and 2 hamlets this year, he added.-VNA
