Turning White to Green - How Long is the Journey? (Part 3)

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Architect Tran Trong Hanh, former Principal of Hanoi University of Architecture, agricultural greenhouses are an inevitable development trend following the speed of modern urbanization. If well controlled, agricultural greenhouse solutions will bring many great economic and social benefits; at the same time, they will not affect the sustainable development orientation of Da Lat City based on the criteria of modernity, identity, green, smart and livable. Thus, the goal of controlling and gradually reducing and moving towards no more white plastic patches in the inner city and inner city by 2030, but the majority of converted farmers do not have green land in the suburbs and outskirts, so the solution is to open the direction of relocating greenhouse assets, where to relocate them, and how to relocate them, in which direction???

Dalat Flower Association proposes that inner-city and urban areas renovate and adjust greenhouse areas according to technical standards.

• FIND THE FRESH, ATTRACTIVE NATURE

Dalat Flower Association statistics show that the total area of ​​flower and ornamental plant cultivation in Lam Dong province is 9,898 hectares, with an output of more than 4 billion branches/year. Of which, Dalat City accounts for over 60% of the area, equivalent to 6,070 hectares, with an output of 2.4 billion branches. The export results are about 400 million flower branches to the markets of Australia, Japan, Korea, Cambodia... and 50 million decorative flower seedlings to Europe, estimated at 69.3 million USD. Most of the flowers grown in Dalat are cut flowers and potted flowers, accounting for more than 90% of the area, including major flowers with diverse imported varieties, suitable for cultivation in greenhouses such as: chrysanthemums, gerberas, carnations, roses, anthuriums, potted flowers..., meeting the needs of export and domestic markets. The remaining 10% of the outdoor flower cultivation area, mainly gladiolus for the Tet market, along with some sunflowers, hydrangeas... are easy to grow year-round, but domestic prices are very low.

Through a period of studying the process of vegetable and flower production in Da Lat City in particular, Lam Dong Province in general, Dr. Architect Truong Van Quang and Architect Tran Ngoc Chinh, Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association continued to affirm: Compared with traditional outdoor farming methods, greenhouse farming helps reduce a large amount of fertilizers and pesticides as well as the amount of irrigation water, so production costs are significantly saved. The greenhouse model also helps reduce damage caused by the effects of weather change. Thanks to its outstanding economic efficiency, the area of ​​greenhouse construction in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province has continuously expanded in the past ten years. Leading to "the dreamy scene of a city in the forest, the forest in the city has gradually faded, contributing to visual pollution, creating frustration in the minds of most tourists who want to find the real natural scenery of Da Lat, fresh and charming...".

Mr. Phan Thanh Sang - Chairman of the Dalat Flower Association expressed the opinion of the Dalat Flower Association in support of Decision 178, dated January 30, 2023 of the People's Committee of Lam Dong province, the goal by 2025 - 2030 is to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate greenhouse areas in the inner city of Dalat city, including Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and the inner city of neighboring districts compared to the current status in 2022. In the coming time, when Lac Duong district is merged into Dalat city, the area will be expanded to develop into a center for eco-tourism, high-class resorts and cultural heritage tourism, a center for high-tech agricultural production research at national, regional and international levels. Dalat Flower Association hopes that Dalat city will be greener - cleaner - more beautiful and develop sustainably, but it is necessary to find reasonable solutions to ensure the interests and livelihoods of people who are farming. greenhouse flower production in the area. On May 27, 2023, the Dalat Flower Association coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lam Dong province to organize a seminar to record that flower villages, farms, and members all agreed that the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of inner-city greenhouses is an inevitable trend to make Dalat more beautiful and greener for the development of tourism services.

On the side of Dalat Flower Association, focus on propagating and mobilizing members to implement Decision 178 such as clearing and relocating greenhouses built in violation of regulations. By 2025, reduce 10-15% of the area of ​​greenhouses in the inner city of Dalat by renovating and adjusting according to technical standards, having a setback when building, planting green belt trees, ensuring land area for roads, ponds, reservoirs, drainage ditches, green area, and campus around greenhouses. In addition, implement a project to import new varieties with commercial potential and effective outdoor cultivation capabilities to transfer to producers. At the same time, propose topics and scientific research to departments, branches and sectors to deploy effective outdoor flower cultivation demonstration models for farmers to visit, learn and follow; form a production chain associated with the consumption of outdoor flowers...

• SUPPORT FOR DISMISSAL OF WHITE GREENHOUSES IN INNER CITIES AND INNER CITIES

Chairman of the Dalat Flower Association Phan Thanh Sang also pointed out the difficulties in implementation: Climate change, extreme weather such as heavy rain, hail, wind, storms, droughts, increased temperatures, localized flooding, etc., directly affect the productivity and quality of outdoor flower products. Every year, in late spring and early summer, flower gardens outside greenhouses often increase in virus pests, bacteria, and insects; in the middle of the rainy season, the soil has high humidity, and many fungal diseases continue to arise. Meanwhile, after dismantling the greenhouse, if the current outdoor flowers are grown, the yield is low, the value is low, the market is narrow, and the area cannot be increased. The selection of outdoor flower species and varieties must ensure environmental adaptation factors, be suitable for new production technology processes, increase the area, form a production chain associated with market demand, and ensure the livelihood of farmers. In addition, the intra-field and intra-urban transportation systems have not been invested in synchronously to serve production; The irrigation and drainage system in Da Lat has not been renovated and invested in accordance with the steep terrain, preventing slope erosion. It is worth noting that most of the farmers in Da Lat who produce white greenhouse flowers in the inner city do not have green land in the suburban agricultural areas, so the demolition of greenhouses is expected to cause considerable damage.

“Where do farmers in the inner city of Da Lat move their greenhouses when they have no land for outdoor production in the suburbs of Da Lat? Or is there only the way to dismantle them for scrap? Greenhouses are a large asset of farmers worth 2-3 billion VND/ha from long-term investment capital sources. Specifically, 1,000 m2 of greenhouses require an investment of 250-300 million VND, if dismantled, there will be 4-6 tons of iron and steel left, equivalent to 24-36 million VND. Thus, by 2030, greenhouses in the inner city will have to be dismantled, and farmers' large greenhouse assets will be almost completely lost - if there is no appropriate and timely capital support policy...”, Chairman of the Da Lat Flower Association Phan Thanh Sang presented. Therefore, the key solution here is to develop many semi-professional and professional models of agricultural tourism and farmstay in flower villages to increase products serving tourism, while gradually converting the area of ​​commercial flower cultivation in greenhouses to flower cultivation serving tourism, maintaining and developing nurseries, invitro model houses, hydroponics, substrates, high-tech agricultural research centers, agricultural tourism spots using greenhouses according to prescribed technical designs...

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/kinh-te/202409/doi-trang-thanh-xanh-hanh-trinh-bao-lau-nua-bai-3-38d2143/