Kim Son melon "ripe sweet" joy

The joy of a good harvest and good price for melon farmers in Kim Trung commune.

Good season, good price

These days, the coastal alluvial plains of Kim Son are bustling with laughter, exchanges, and the bustling buying and selling of melons all over the lagoon banks. The melon harvest season has arrived, bringing joy and prosperity to the farmers here.

After being harvested, cantaloupes are washed, classified and then sold.

Kim Son land is blessed by nature with a fertile layer of alluvium from the rivers flowing into the sea. This special soil, combined with the salty climate of the sea breeze, has created a famous specialty: beach melon. The melons here are not only big and round, but also possess a unique flavor, rich sweetness, and strong aroma, completely different from melons grown in other regions. Therefore, even though the price is higher, Kim Son melons are always favored by the market, "no matter how much they sell out" as Ms. Hoai, a melon buyer in Kim Trung commune shared. Ms. Hoai said that even though it is just the beginning of the season, every day she has purchased and exported 4-5 tons of melons to the provincial markets.

From 6 sao of melon growing, each year Mrs. Tran Thi Nga in Kim Trung commune earns about 100 million VND.

This year, the favorable weather has created favorable conditions for melons to grow well, with few pests and diseases, and outstanding productivity and quality. In the lush green fields, farmers are rushing to harvest the first batches of melons. Mrs. Tran Thi Nga in Kim Trung commune could not hide her joy: “My family has been growing melons for nearly ten years. This year the melons are very good, each day we harvest 2-3 quintals, traders come to the fields to buy everything. With 6 sao of melons, this year my family's income will definitely be over 100 million VND.”

Sharing the same excitement, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, Hamlet 6, Kim Dong Commune, showed off her first-season plump melons. “This alluvial soil is rich in nutrients, plus the sun and sea breeze, so the melons are big, sweet, and fragrant. Anyone who eats them once will remember them forever,” Ms. La proudly said. Not only that, she said that the characteristic of melons in the alluvial soil is that most of them are grown by people on the banks around the shrimp ponds, so the process of spraying pesticides to prevent pests and using fertilizers is very limited and careful because if the pesticides accidentally fly into the pond, the shrimp will die. In addition, currently, melon growers here are also proactively applying advanced techniques such as intercropping, covering with plastic, and watering to improve the yield and quality of melons.

As soon as the first harvest of melons began, Ms. Nguyen Thi La, Kim Trung commune, sowed seeds and prepared to plant the second crop to make use of the land and increase income.

Valuable experiences passed down through many generations, combined with the diligence and creativity of Kim Son farmers, have created sweet, high-quality melons. From choosing good varieties, applying organic fertilizers, pruning branches properly to harvesting at the right ripeness and careful preservation, all contribute to creating the special flavor of Kim Son melons.

Building a brand to bring coastal melons further afield

Although Kim Son melons have affirmed their quality and have good prices on the market, most of them are still consumed through small traders. Mr. Tran Van Son, a melon farmer in Kim Dong commune, said: “Our melons are really delicious, and the price is higher than melons from other places, but mainly traders come to buy them, no businesses have invested yet. We really hope that businesses will come to buy, build brands, and have labels to protect the products and sell them at higher prices.”

This is also a common concern of many melon growers in Kim Son. In order for melon to truly become a key crop, bringing sustainable economic efficiency to people in the coastal areas, building a brand is extremely necessary.

Melons are often grown around shrimp ponds, so people are very careful in using pesticides and fertilizers.

Mr. Vu Truong Thu, Chairman of Kim Trung Commune People's Committee, is well aware of this. He said: “Melon is an advantage of Kim Trung alluvial land. The commune is focusing on guiding people to apply scientific and technical advances in production, improving quality and food safety. At the same time, we encourage production chain linkage models, connecting with consumption points, moving towards building a brand for melon, bringing the product further, conquering even the most demanding markets”.

Building a brand not only helps to increase the value of the product but also builds prestige, helping Kim Son melon gain a firm foothold in the market. To do this, it is necessary to have the cooperation of farmers, local authorities and businesses.

Farmers need to continue to improve product quality, ensure safe and environmentally friendly production processes. Local authorities need to have support policies on seeds, capital, technology, and trade promotion. In particular, it is necessary to attract businesses to invest in processing, packaging, branding, and professional distribution channels.

With the confirmed quality and the constant efforts of the local people and government, we believe that Kim Son melon will soon have a strong brand, reaching out to the domestic and international markets, bringing an increasingly prosperous and happy life to the people of the alluvial land. This bumper melon season is a promising start for those strong steps forward.

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/dua-le-kim-son-chin-ngot-niem-vui-668346.htm