(QBĐT) - With its unique sweet taste, Ham Ninh watermelon ( Quang Ninh ) is increasingly popular with people inside and outside the province. In order for the Ham Ninh watermelon brand to reach far, the locality has built a production and product consumption chain, aiming for sustainable development.
Watermelon with QR code
These days, in the watermelon fields, Ham Ninh people are harvesting and selling the first watermelons of the season. Fresh and delicious watermelons are purchased right in the garden.
Ham Ninh watermelons are ready to be harvested after 2 months of planting. Due to the climate and soil conditions, watermelons grown here are bright red, have firm flesh, and a distinct sweet and aromatic flavor compared to watermelons grown in other regions. When cut open, the fruit is crunchy and not spongy.
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Mr. Tran Van Hiep, Tran Xa village, Ham Ninh commune said that to have delicious melons, people have to endure rain and sun with each melon tree. This year's melon crop, his family planted 8 sao, mainly Hoan Chau melon variety. From the growing stage to harvest, the melons are monitored and cared for according to VietGAP process. Growing melons according to VietGAP standards will limit the use of pesticides, reduce the amount of fertilizer, contribute to reducing input costs, plants grow and develop well, give high yield, help people improve production efficiency.
Ham Ninh commune currently has 58 households growing watermelons, concentrated in the villages of Ham Hoa, Quyet Tien, Truong Nien, etc. Ham Ninh watermelons are grown using the technique of covering them with tarpaulins in rows, which limits pests and diseases and keeps the soil moist. Many watermelon growers have invested in water-saving irrigation systems to ensure adequate water supply for the watermelon plants to grow and develop well.
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Chairman of Ham Ninh Commune People's Committee Ha Xuan Hung said that Ham Ninh watermelon is grown in two crops, winter-spring and summer-autumn, with an area of over 35 hectares. Since converting the traditional watermelon production method to production according to VietGAP standards with appropriate fertilizer and pesticide flow and seasonal intercropping, the quality of Ham Ninh watermelon products has been increasingly improved, in line with the trend of prioritizing clean food of consumers. To improve the quality as well as promote Ham Ninh watermelon to consumers in and outside the province, the locality has completed all procedures for registering packaging, labels, traceability stamps, etc.
“This year, Ham Ninh watermelon products have been registered with QR codes, which is a new direction to promote and consume local quality agricultural products. Products have QR codes, so customers can use their phones to trace their origin. When customers feel secure about the quality, they will definitely trust it,” said Mr. Hung.
Link to reach far
In 2023, Ham Ninh watermelon was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, creating momentum for the product brand to increasingly gain a solid foothold in the market.
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Secretary of the Ham Ninh Commune Party Committee Truong Ngoc Quy said that the Ham Ninh melon brand has become famous and is trusted by people inside and outside the province. Therefore, many traders have taken melons from other localities and pretended to be Ham Ninh melons to sell. This has caused the reputation of the Ham Ninh watermelon brand to decline. With the desire to develop the Ham Ninh melon brand sustainably and further, in early 2024, the Commune People's Committee built a production and consumption chain for Ham Ninh melon products. The commune has established 3 professional farmer associations for growing watermelons in Quyet Tien, Truong Nien, and Ham Hoa villages with 58 members. To strictly manage the quality of 3-star OCOP products, the commune has established a Quality Management Board for the "Ham Ninh Watermelon" brand label with the motto: "All Ham Ninh melons are labeled, melons without labels are not Ham Ninh melons". The commune has also cooperated with Quyen Luong Trading Company Limited to consume melon products for the people.
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Mr. Phan Thanh Quyen, Director of the company, said that this is the first year the company has coordinated with the commune to implement a production chain and guarantee the consumption of Ham Ninh melon products. To ensure that Ham Ninh melons reaching consumers are of standard and quality, the company regularly monitors the production process, from the time people plant, care for them until harvest. Melons are purchased right in the field, then cleaned, labeled, barcoded and supplied to the market. Households participating in the chain will be supported with seeds, fertilizers and assured of stable output and prices. The company has set a goal of bringing the Ham Ninh watermelon brand closer and closer to a large number of consumers, not only in the area but also to large markets, such as: Supermarkets, clean fruit stores in and outside the province and possibly further.
| In order for the Ham Ninh melon brand to reach a larger market, in addition to the efforts of the local government, it is necessary to have the cooperation and contribution of the people and the support of all levels and sectors in product development as well as product consumption output," said Chairman of Ham Ninh Commune People's Committee Ha Xuan Hung. |
Mr. Cao Xuan Son, Truong Nien village shared: “This is the first year I have participated in the production chain and linked to the consumption of Ham Ninh melon products. During the production process, I always follow the melon growing process according to VietGAP standards, so the yield of this melon crop is quite high. In previous years, the price of melons sold in the field fluctuated erratically, some years the price at the beginning of the season was high but the price at the end of the season was low. Because people find traders to sell themselves, it is inevitable that prices are forced down and prices are unstable. I am very happy because this year I do not have to worry about the output of the product, the company buys as much as I harvest. It is only the beginning of the season but my family has already sold 7-8 tons of melons.”
According to Ham Ninh Commune Party Secretary Truong Ngoc Quy, finding a sustainable development direction for watermelons in Ham Ninh is not only a concern of watermelon growers but also a goal of the local government. Currently, Ham Ninh watermelons have initially gained a foothold in the market and are favored by consumers because of their guaranteed quality. However, once aiming to expand production scale, people need to comply with regulations on product quality. In particular, it is necessary to build a link between businesses and farmers according to a sustainable production chain. This is the first year the commune has implemented a production chain and product consumption, so many households are not familiar with it and still sell it themselves. In the coming time, the commune will continue to promote and mobilize people to actively participate in the chain and consume products so that the Ham Ninh watermelon brand can reach further and develop more sustainably.
Lan Chi
Source
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