Specializing in safe vegetable cultivation, adapting to climate change

Water-saving vegetable growing model.

Mr. Tran Hoang Nhat Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang province, assessed that in the production of food vegetables, people have applied many advanced vegetable growing techniques such as hydroponics, growing vegetables in greenhouses, using agricultural film, automatic watering, water-saving irrigation... which are applied more by farmers. Currently, about 90% of the area of ​​F1 hybrid vegetable varieties is put into production with a short growing time, resistant to pests and diseases, helping to increase productivity, output and product quality. Vegetable growers earn a profit of 63-310 million VND/ha. In the first quarter of 2025, Tien Giang province has a vegetable growing area of ​​23,616ha, reaching 45.35% of the year's plan, an increase of 1.36% over the same period in 2024; harvesting 18,385ha; Output was 413,763 tons, reaching 35.75% of the plan, up 1.78% over the same period; of which, the area of ​​rotated vegetables was 2,130 hectares.

Chau Thanh district, the largest vegetable growing area in Tien Giang province, currently has nearly 2,000 hectares of vegetable growing area, providing 350,000 tons of vegetables of all kinds each year to major markets such as the Eastern and Western provinces of the South and Ho Chi Minh City. The locality has formed concentrated vegetable growing areas suitable to the soil conditions of each region, such as areas for growing mixed fruit vegetables (cucumber, bitter melon, squash, pumpkin, tomato, etc.), areas for growing leafy vegetables and herbs (gotu kola, coriander, basil, fish mint, om rau, etc.). This planning helps to orient the development of vegetables systematically. Sectors and levels have the conditions to focus on transferring science and technology, implementing programs and projects for developing vegetables.

Mr. Huynh Van Be Hai, Chairman of Chau Thanh District People's Committee, Tien Giang Province, said that the district has promoted the application of science and technology in intensive crop cultivation to guide people to produce clean, safe, quality-assured vegetables, meeting consumer demands. Up to now, in specialized vegetable growing areas, people have applied science and technology in vegetable production: Using F1 varieties, IPM, automatic sprinkler irrigation systems, drip irrigation, water-saving irrigation (sprinkler irrigation), using biological products in cultivation, applying greenhouses and membrane houses in cultivation, etc.

According to statistics in Chau Thanh district, the area applying the sprinkler irrigation system reached 3,400 hectares, accounting for about 80% of the area for growing various vegetables. The area applying IPM reached 2,800 hectares, accounting for 65% of the area for growing various vegetables. The area applying organic and biological fertilizers reached 3,000 hectares, accounting for 70% of the area for growing various vegetables. In the first 4 months of 2024, people in Chau Thanh district planted 8,166 hectares, with a harvest of 166,286 tons. The income from vegetables reached 150-325 million VND/ha/year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong, Than Cuu Nghia commune, Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province has applied the mist irrigation method to save water, and successfully created a reasonable land use rotation in cultivating vegetables according to the short-term method of nurturing the long-term. With 4,000m2 ^of land, Mr. Thuong alternately grows vegetables such as coriander, green onions, mustard greens, perilla... for regular harvest. With this method, the land area is fully utilized and each type of vegetable is harvested all year round. Thanks to that, each year Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong's family earns over 150 million VND/year.

In Go Cong Tay district, a locality located in the Go Cong sweetening area of ​​Tien Giang province, the locality has built safe vegetable cooperatives applying intensive science and technology along with suitable production models, responding to climate change, creating a source of quality agricultural products to serve the market, achieving high profits. Mr. Huynh Thanh Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Go Cong Tay district, Tien Giang province, shared: Depending on the characteristics of each sub-region, Go Cong Tay district is interested in reorganizing production, gathering farmers, forming a network of cooperatives, cooperatives specializing in vegetable growing, applying science and technology, transferring VietGAP safe vegetable growing techniques as well as linking to solve output for agricultural products, people feel secure in production. The mechanization of production stages from land preparation to spraying pesticides, automating irrigation is being widely applied by farmers in vegetable growing areas. On the other hand, actively promote trade, link businesses, collective kitchens, and supermarkets inside and outside the province to solve output for agricultural products.

In the first quarter of 2025, Go Cong Tay district had a vegetable growing area of ​​over 3,117 hectares, harvested over 2,730 hectares, with a total output of 58,673 tons. Local surveys showed that the average profit from vegetable growing was between 47.4 million VND/ha/crop and 290 million VND/ha/crop depending on the type of vegetable, 2-13 times higher than monoculture rice.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Quang, Director of Hoa Thanh General Agricultural Cooperative, Go Cong Tay District, Tien Giang Province, shared: The application of science and technology in safe specialized vegetable cultivation brings high efficiency to producers as well as consumers. With ^1,000m2 , each year members produce an average of about 10 crops, each crop has an average of at least 2 tons in the rainy season, and can reach 4 tons in the dry season. With the price that the cooperative guarantees, after deducting costs, people earn a profit of 5-8 million VND/crop.

To promote the potential and advantages of expanding safe vegetable production areas associated with processing and consumption markets, the People's Committee of Tien Giang province has issued a Plan to implement the "Project on Developing safe and concentrated vegetable production areas, ensuring traceability associated with processing and consumption markets by 2030" in Tien Giang province.

Accordingly, Tien Giang strives to have a concentrated vegetable production area of ​​7,826 hectares in the province by 2030. The planting area is about 38,059 hectares, accounting for 56.8% of the province's vegetable area; the estimated output is 784,128 tons. The locality also strives to have a concentrated safe vegetable production area with traceability in the province by 2030 of about 3,130 hectares. The planting area is 15,200 hectares, with an output of 313,600 tons, accounting for 40% of the province's concentrated vegetable output.

Article and photos: PHUNG LONG

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/chuyen-canh-rau-mau-theo-huong-an-toan-thich-ung-voi-bien-doi-khi-hau-a185754.html