Di An town has reached a rapid growth regarding industrialization and urbanization. The proportion of agricultural production accounted for around 1% of the local economic structure. Le Van Hoang, Chairman of Di An town’s People’s Committee said: “This is a very important proportion. Although having a strong development in terms of industry and services, we have attached special importance to promoting the local urban agriculture. In addition to job creation, the town’s urban agriculture development aims at supplying a green living space and a safe food source for the local people”. 

Straw mushroom being harvested at a household in Di An town’s Binh An ward

Giving strength to farmers

In 2013, Di An town only had around 123 hectares of various crop plants. There was also a total of more than 15,000 poultry and livestock together with 10 hectares of aquiculture. The town’s Veterinary Station and Plant Protection Station regularly monitored epidemic diseases in crop plants and animals for timely solution. Thanks to this, the town did not face serious epidemic diseases in crop plants and animals last year. The town’s agricultural production value reached around VND20bln.

Along with preventing epidemic diseases in crop plants and animals to increase the effectiveness of the local agricultural production, Di An town’s Division of Economics organized training courses on sci-tech transfer in agricultural production for the local farmers; held tours to models on agricultural production with hi-economic efficiency in other localities…

The local farmers also visited, researched and applied many effective models, including the models of growing various ornamental plants in HCM city’s Hoc Mon district, the model of growing ganoderma mushroom in Dong Nai province’s Dinh Quan district…

Le Van Hoang, Chairman of Di An town’s People’s Committee said: “We have implemented many measures and policies bracing up the local farmers to get involved in urban, hi-tech and ecological agriculture”. Meanwhile, Ho Van Thach, from the town’s Division of Economics said: “Last year, we coordinated with provincial Agricultural Promotion Center to apply 7 models in cultivation and animal husbandry; checked and took over 7 models on sci-tech transfer in growing various mushrooms in Binh An, Dong Hoa wards, safe vegetables in Tan Dong Hiep ward”.

It is known that if getting involved in urban agricultural models, farmers will be subsidized 30% of total investment capital. Reportedly, the 7 mentioned-models also enjoyed a subsidiary of nearly VND28mln. 

Overcoming difficulties to rise up

Many local people have managed to overcome difficulties and stabilize their lives with the models of urban agriculture. Nguyen Van Binh, an official of Binh An ward’s Youth Union is a typical example for this.

Thanks to the attention and help of the local government plus his own efforts, Binh overcame hardship and stabilized his life with the oyster mushroom growing model. According to him, oyster mushroom will be harvested after two-week cultivation with around 30-40kg a day at the selling price of between VND25,000 and VND30,000 per kg. In addition to mushroom growing, he has got involved in the orchid-growing model…

Three brothers, namely Nguyen Tan Tai, Nguyen Tan Duc and Nguyen Tan Phat, said that thanks to the support of the town’s Division of Economics and Agricultural Promotion Center, they overcame obstacles and continued promoting the model of growing apricot trees…

Urban agriculture models in Di An town are demonstrating that hi-tech based agricultural production can help farmers get rich. Thanks to the attention and help of the local authorities and sectors at all levels, models on urban and ecological agriculture have loomed large across the town.

Di An town has initially joined hands with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a survey on application of hi-tech equipment into agricultural production. Obviously, urban agriculture models in the town have not only supplied the local people, but also created jobs for them when their main jobs “frozen”.

Reported by Bao Anh-Translated by K.T