Melon growing – A new direction of farmers in An Binh commune, Phu Giao district

Currently, the demands for safe vegetables are concerned by majority consumers. Thus, many safe vegetable models have appeared in the province. The melon model of Ms. Vu Thi Hue in Ca Na hamlet, An Binh commune, Phu Giao district is an example.

With an area of ​​2,000m2, Ms. Hue invested in a closed net house made of steel, roofed by plastic to fight against insects. Inside the net house, there are paths, automatic irrigating system, temperature measurement ... Total expense was VND500 million. According to An Binh commune Farmers' Association, this is an efficiency agricultural production model with high pest control, sun-proof, stable temperature… have been applied by many localities.

Ms. Hue took care of her melon garden

Talking about the reason and motivation to invest in this model, Ms. Hue said: "Currently, there are many vegetables planted with pesticides or toxic drugs, affecting badly consumer’s health. Due to this reason and the demands for clean fruits, my family decided to invest in a clean melon model”.

Ms. Hue said initially the model had encountered many difficulties. The farmer must have a strong determination, high start-up capital, and learn how to build and develop the model, and then consuming markets. However, the advantages of this model are less effort to care, less pests, and no use of toxic drugs ... Besides, daily care work is quite simple, she just has to water enough, fertilize to stimulate growth. Small trees need to water each 2 hours and each time needs about 8 minutes. Developed trees just need to water once per day and 10 minutes each. The irrigation system was installed underground to water directly and uniformly into the trees. The period from planting to harvest is nearly 3 months. Her garden has planted for 20 days and will be harvested in the next 2 months.

Currently, her melon garden has many visitors and customers have ordered melons here. Talking about her expectations, Ms. Hue said: “As deciding to develop this model, I think that I am successful, although this is my first model. With VietGAP standards, after harvesting, I will distribute products to supermarkets, safe vegetable shops in and outside the province”.

Green melon rows of Ms. Hue family are promising a bumper crop of many safe melons delivered to consumers in and outside the province.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong, Chairman of An Binh commune Farmers' Association, said clean melon was a new step in the crop conversion of farmers in the commune. In this model, vegetables are grown in a greenhouse, with less or no plant protection products to ensure food safety. In the future, the association will create favorable conditions for farmers in the commune to visit and expand this model.

Reported by Mai Hoang – Translated by Ngoc Huynh