Melon - Promising crop in Ia Phi

In 2021, the Agricultural Service Center of Chu Pah district (old) deployed the model "Application of greenhouse technology and growing media for growing netted melons" in Ia Sik village and village 2 (Ia Phi commune) with an area of 0.75 hectares, total cost of more than 1.8 billion VND.

The State supports seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and some essential materials; people contribute to building greenhouses, irrigation systems, and labor and enjoy 100% of the products.

The model has shown clear effectiveness: Melon plants grow steadily, with few pests and diseases, superior productivity and quality, and stable selling prices. The success of the pilot model has created a strong spread, many households have boldly invested in expanding the area, making melon a promising crop in the locality.

Model of growing melons in a greenhouse of Mr. Phan Van The's family (Ia Sik village, Ia Phi commune). **Photo: Le Nam**

Mr. Phan Van The's family (Ia Sik village) is one of the pioneers in growing melons. In 2021, his family invested about 200 million VND to build a 1,000 ^m2 greenhouse and install a water-saving irrigation system to grow melons.

Thanks to the compliance with the technical process, the melons grow well, yielding 3.5-4 tons/sao, selling for 20,000-30,000 VND/kg depending on the time. After deducting expenses, the profit per crop is about 50 million VND/sao. Seeing the effectiveness, Mr. The has expanded to 4 sao, creating a stable source of income.

“Melons have a short growing time and are more economically efficient than many other crops. Each crop is only about 65-70 days long, so they can be rotated four times a year. This is a favorable condition for farmers to quickly recover their investment capital and accumulate,” said Mr. The.

Not just a few households experimenting, up to now, the whole Ia Phi commune has dozens of households investing in growing melons in greenhouses with an area of nearly 7 hectares. This model helps farmers proactively control pests, reduce pesticide costs, limit the impact of extreme weather, and bring more sustainable value than traditional production.

Realizing the effectiveness of the model, Mr. Hoang Ngoc Khang (village 6) decided to destroy 2.5 sao of old coffee trees to invest in organic melon cultivation. Although the investment capital for greenhouses of about 200 million VND/sao is quite large, the economic efficiency has proven this choice to be correct.

“I am currently growing my third melon crop this year. Melons have a short growing period, an average weight of 1.3-1.6 kg/fruit, and a yield of 3-3.5 tons/sao/crop. With a stable selling price of over 20,000 VND/kg, each sao of melon brings in a profit of 30-50 million VND/crop. If compared on the same area, the income from melons is many times higher than that from coffee,” Mr. Khang analyzed.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Khang's model of growing melons in greenhouses (village 6, Ia Phi commune) brings in much higher income than coffee trees. **Photo: Le Nam**

From a small experimental model, melon has taken root in Ia Phi land, becoming a high-income crop, motivating farmers to change production. Thanks to the application of greenhouse technology and water-saving irrigation systems, farmers have proactively produced in a safe, high-quality direction, creating trust with the consumer market.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Son - Chairman of Ia Phi Commune People's Committee, practice in recent years has proven that, despite difficulties in initial investment capital, technical infrastructure and product output, the high-tech melon model still shows great promise.

“In the coming time, the locality will continue to accompany farmers, support the construction of new models, encourage organic and circular production; high-tech, clean agricultural production, greenhouse cultivation, hydroponics... Promote restructuring of the agricultural sector, change crop structure, diversify products. The goal is to help farmers create products with high added value,” Mr. Son emphasized.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/dua-luoi-cay-trong-trien-vong-o-ia-phi-post565049.html