Previously, Ms. Le Thi Kim Chi only grew melons on a small scale to earn extra income for her family. Later, seeing that this production model was effective, especially with less competition in output compared to other agricultural products, she continued to rent land and expanded it to 2 hectares of melons with 18 net houses. The melon products she grows all apply advanced techniques, grown in net houses, GAP standards, so the products achieve high productivity and quality.
In addition to retail, she has signed a contract with the Bach Hoa Xanh supermarket chain, local traders buy so the output is stable and there is no unsold goods. To develop large-scale production and business, in 2017, Ms. Le Thi Kim Chi established My Phong Clean Agricultural Service and Trade Cooperative with the function of producing and trading vegetables and fruits, focusing on melons.
At first, the cooperative had only 30 members, but now it has developed to over 100 members specializing in melon production, with over 100 greenhouses. When joining the cooperative, members are transferred melon growing techniques, and their output is guaranteed at a price of 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg (depending on the time).
With Ms. Chi's very active and flexible management, the production and business activities of My Phong Clean Agricultural Trade and Service Cooperative are growing day by day. Currently, each month the Cooperative supplies the market with 60-100 tons of melons; last year the Cooperative achieved a record number of 1,091 tons, earning nearly 20 billion VND in revenue.
Melons have helped this woman’s family thrive and provide quality products for everyone’s consumption needs. She said that growing melons does not require a large area but requires the right techniques and careful, attentive care.
“When I came into contact with melons, I became passionate, then planted them, sold them, and had the opportunity to cooperate with Bach Hoa Xanh supermarket. After that, I did it slowly and developed it. If I want to grow it effectively, I have to be meticulous. Formulas and fertilizers are factors, but the person directly taking care of the garden must be meticulous from the seedling, seedlings, pollination, and fruit selection stages,” Chi shared.
The activities of My Phong clean agricultural trade and service cooperative are effective, farmers' lives are stable and developing, and they also contribute to social work and local development.
Mr. Vo Van Lap, Head of the Rural Development Department (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province) said that Ms. Le Thi Kim Chi leads and operates the Cooperative with a very good direction, with a production and business strategy suitable to market demand. The Cooperative's melon products have achieved OCOP and have a strong brand in the locality.
“My Phong Cooperative is operating well, especially for melon products, with a strong consumer market, and also sells vegetables and fruits to people. During the pandemic, the Cooperative supplied Ho Chi Minh City with 37,000 combos worth tens of billions of VND. We are considering supporting the Cooperative to develop infrastructure to build factories and have been approved,” said Mr. Lap.
At the age of 37, Ms. Le Thi Kim Chi is quite steady, has a lot of experience in production and business, and has a passion and great determination to produce more and more melon products to serve the market across the country.
Ms. Chi hopes: “In the future, our cooperative will continue to follow the direction of Bach Hoa Xanh because that side consumes a lot and has developed in the Northern region. We will connect to continue delivering there. Currently, the cooperative has expanded to more than 100 gardens. There are households of neighboring cooperatives that have not been able to deliver goods. We will connect and gather to expand the model to more than 150 gardens.”
Recently, in the Mekong Delta region, many agricultural cooperatives have encountered many difficulties due to product output, but My Phong Clean Agricultural Trade and Service Cooperative (My Tho city, Tien Giang province) has a correct production and business strategy, has developed very remarkably and commendably; in that achievement, there is a very positive contribution of Ms. Le Thi Kim Chi - a woman with a talent for melons.
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