Join forces to improve the quality of agricultural value chains

Dynamic transformation

Hung Thanh Safe Vegetable Cooperative, Hung Thanh Area 3 is one of the urban agricultural models that brings high economic efficiency. Established in 2017, the Cooperative currently has 25 members, with an area of about 2.5 hectares. The difference of the Cooperative is that some members choose to grow safe vegetables in cheap net houses. Normally, the investment cost of net houses (iron frames, nets) costs hundreds of millions of VND/ha, but with the method of making cheap net houses (cement pillars, lead wires, nets), it is only about 25 million VND/ha.

Safe vegetable growing model in organic direction at Hung Thanh Safe Vegetable Cooperative.

Mr. Pham Van Lam, Head of the Hung Thanh Safe Vegetable Cooperative, shared: "I have been involved in vegetable growing for nearly 20 years, but I have been growing safe vegetables in greenhouses for about 7 years now. Growing vegetables in greenhouses avoids the disadvantages of weather, harmful insects, pests, and diseases, and yields higher than traditional methods." With a cultivation area of over 2,500m ² , thanks to being planted and cared for according to standard processes, vegetables yield 3-4.5 tons/1,000m ^2. Vegetables grown organically are often purchased at a price 500-1,000 VND/kg higher than the market price.

Mr. Pham Van Ba's sugar green plum garden in Thanh Loi area has an area of ^5,000m2 , with 140 trees that are more than 2 years old and have started to produce the first fruits. Mr. Pham Van Ba said: "The flowers bloom around this time, so we can harvest them in November this year. Each plum season lasts 5-6 months (from November of the previous year to March, April of the following year), and we can harvest 4-5 batches of fruit." According to Mr. Ba, sugar green plum is an ancient plum variety, not a new variety and has recently been revived by many gardeners. Sugar green plum has firm, crispy flesh and a sweet taste, so it is popular with many people. In the recent plum season, traders came to the garden to buy at 50,000-60,000 VND/kg.

The model of raising snakehead fish of Mr. Trang Thanh Binh, Thanh Thang area with a total area of ^10,000m2 of water surface for raising meat fish and fish for breeding. “Every year I supply the market with 30-50 tons/year of meat fish and 5-6 million fish fry. For meat fish, last season I sold at 65,000 VND/kg. For fish fry, I sell to neighboring provinces in the Mekong Delta. As for meat fish, in addition to supplying to traders, I also cooperate to create a raw material area for Pham Nghia Food Joint Stock Company. Therefore, the current ponds are raised according to the VietGAP process to meet the strict requirements of customers.”

Need more help

With the economic efficiency brought, many farmers in Cai Rang ward have been expanding their scale, bringing urban agricultural models to develop in a high-tech and in-depth direction. Mr. Pham Van Lam shared: “Currently, the price of fertilizers and pesticides is high, while the demand for clean and safe products is being put first by consumers. This requires farmers to both reduce costs and have products according to the market's wishes. I find that the model of growing vegetables in greenhouses in an organic direction is very suitable for this trend. To continue to replicate the model, I propose that the functional sector support seeds and organic fertilizers; at the same time, re-issue the certificate of safe vegetable production, issue QR codes to trace the origin of vegetable products of the Cooperative Group".

To promote trading activities, many households, cooperatives, and cooperative groups have recommended that Cai Rang ward continue to pay attention to investing in upgrading traffic infrastructure in the area. Mr. Trang Thanh Binh said: Due to degraded roads and the remoteness of the pond area, production costs (transporting food and transporting fish for each harvest) have increased to 1,000 VND/kg. If the market price is not good when selling, the profit is very small, and if the weather is unfavorable or there is an epidemic, it is considered a loss. Therefore, I hope that the State will invest in upgrading and expanding roads to facilitate trading, reduce production costs; support water treatment in aquaculture...

Mr. Tran Van Tham, Vice Chairman of Cai Rang Ward People's Committee, assessed: The typical agricultural models of the ward not only bring high economic efficiency but also contribute to spreading and changing the production habits of farmers, opening up a new direction for local agriculture. The Ward and local Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Department continues to pay attention to supporting farmers in applying new science and technology, producing according to standards to improve product quality to meet market requirements. At the same time, support bringing agricultural products to e-commerce trading floors; have a direction to replicate effective production models; research connected tourism models to increase profits for households.

Article and photos: MY THANH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/hop-luc-nang-chat-chuoi-gia-tri-nong-san-a189953.html