Agricultural tourism helps people escape poverty

HAI PHONG From ineffective 'sloppy, rotten' rice fields, Mr. Vu Van Phong has turned this place into a unique agricultural eco-tourism area.

Passion from love of land

The agricultural ecotourism area of ​​Mr. Phong's family is the result of many efforts in propaganda, mobilization, guidance and technology transfer, as well as capital support through poverty reduction policies, State loan policies through the Social Policy Bank, commercial banks... Introduced by the leaders of the People's Committee of Nam Thanh Mien commune, Hai Phong city, we visited the unique agricultural ecotourism model of Mr. Vu Van Phong, Trieu Duong village.

Surprisingly, the picturesque agricultural eco- tourism area in the middle of a peaceful village, near the stork island, is considered a "precious gem" of the Northern Delta countryside. Under the cool shade of the trees, in the garden with all kinds of fruit trees in the flowering and fruiting season... fragrant aroma. Mr. Phong shared: My hometown is a purely agricultural land, but for a long time people have not been interested in agricultural production (because most of them work as factory workers). I myself am a person who loves the land and agricultural production, but only relying on growing rice twice a year, life is difficult and poor.

Mr. Phong's agricultural eco-tourism area is as beautiful as a painting in the middle of a peaceful countryside. Photo: Pham Hoang.

In 2013, information from the local government implementing the policy of land consolidation for people to implement the model (VAC), the policy was like a "wind" creating motivation for Mr. Phong to be determined to rise up, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty from his homeland land, he started to convert 2,600 m2 to grow vegetables, agricultural products... Initially, Mr. Phong was very confused and worried, but through the propaganda and advice of the local government on building an agricultural model that brings high economic efficiency, combined with participating in learning experiences and techniques from models, on books, newspapers, media and gardening groups, gave him confidence and passion to grow vegetables, clean agricultural products.

With the nature of a hard-working, diligent farmer who is eager to learn science and technology in the areas where vegetables and fruits have been grown for many years in the area and with experienced people, Mr. Phong has built a model of a transitional area, with each season having its own products, such as: Cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, vegetables... sold to the market every year for high income (3-5 times higher than growing rice).

Amh Phong checks the growth rate of cucumbers. Photo: Pham Hoang.

This is also the motivation for him to develop a clean and creative agricultural model into an eco-tourism area serving people in and outside the region to visit and buy products in the garden, students to learn how to plant and care for trees, enjoy fruits to foster a love of labor. With the savings of nearly 10 years converting from 2,600m2 of agricultural land and adding to the loan, Mr. Phong rented an area of ​​12,500m2 (in 2023) from the villagers to build a model of agricultural production combined with eco-tourism.

According to Mr. Phong, although the agricultural ecotourism model does not bring in as much income as the clean agricultural model and requires a lot of investment of money and effort, but with the love for his homeland and the desire to introduce specialty fruits and clean vegetables for people to buy, he has put aside the immediate benefits and invested nearly 5 billion VND in this model.

Mr. Phong's eco-tourism model attracts thousands of visitors every year to visit and buy clean products. Photo: Van Phong.

Unique agricultural model

Up to now, Mr. Phong's agricultural eco-tourism model has been systematically planned, with diverse crops and all built into wooden beds and ditches for visitors to walk around and visit.

Agricultural tourism also helps create jobs and increase income for local people, while helping to maintain and promote culture and rural and regional life. Photo: Van Phong.

Mr. Phong took us to visit the greenhouse growing various types of tomatoes, melons, clean vegetables... as we walked, he explained: Agricultural tourism is a type of tourism built and organized based on agricultural production activities to serve the sightseeing and entertainment needs of tourists. In it, tourists will visit, learn and work with local people, agricultural production such as: planting, caring, harvesting, processing agricultural products... Agricultural tourism activities bring great value to agricultural production, at the same time helping to develop and promote local tourism and business households. Thereby helping to increase consumption demand, contributing to solving output for agricultural products and promoting the development of agricultural trade. The development of agricultural tourism also helps to create jobs, increase income for local people, and at the same time helps to maintain and promote culture, rural and regional life.   

An eco-agricultural tourist destination to educate children to love labor and fruit trees. Photo: Van Phong.

To have high productivity and ensure the quality of clean products, Mr. Phong has actively applied science and technology, promoting clean agricultural production in the direction of organic with high economic value, growing in greenhouse systems, using advanced Israeli drip irrigation technology. Fertilizer and irrigation water will be supplied to each melon root, vegetable bed... Thereby, the amount of water and fertilizer will be controlled every day. Each melon plant will be provided with the right amount of nutrients and water to ensure the best growth of the melon plant. In addition, the drip irrigation system and automatic pumping system have greatly reduced labor.

To ensure nutrients for plant growth, Mr. Phong buys fish, eggs, snails, and earthworms to soak and ferment microorganisms as nutrients to water the plants. After fermenting properly and for a sufficient amount of time, this solution will be mixed with water according to the ratio and standards to water the plants, replacing other fertilizers. Therefore, the productivity, yield, and quality of vegetables and fruits in the garden are always higher than those of agricultural products grown using traditional methods.

The productivity, output and quality of vegetables and fruits in Mr. Phong's garden are always higher than those grown using traditional methods. Photo: Van Phong.

Currently, Mr. Phong's eco-agricultural tourism model has created jobs for 5 local workers, with an average income of 6 million VND/month/person. The model annually brings in a profit of about 400 - 450 million VND for Mr. Phong's family, thanks to which, Mr. Phong's family has become a well-off farming household with a stable income and has helped many farming households escape poverty.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/du-lich-nong-nghiep-giup-nguoi-dan-vuon-len-thoat-ngheo-d787629.html