Director of Thinh Phat Cooperative

A bold decision

“The land in Quang Son is suitable for growing vegetables and fruits. Since the cooperative was established in 2019, the farmers have been growing white radishes and cabbage, but the market was unstable. Therefore, I and the members of the cooperative decided to choose to grow Chinese cabbage and find a market for the product,” Ms. Toan recalled the early days of starting her business with Chinese cabbage.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Toan, Director of Thinh Phat Cooperative, Quang Son commune, Dak Glong district, introduced Chinese cabbage to the locality to help improve the economy for its members.

Speaking about the fortunate circumstances that led the cooperative to decide to bring Chinese cabbage to Quang Son commune for large-scale cultivation in mid-2022, Ms. Toan said that officials from the Dak Nong Provincial Agricultural Extension Center came to work with the cooperative with the aim of introducing crops and livestock to Quang Son commune to achieve economic efficiency.

The cooperative introduced three households growing Chinese cabbage, and although the plants were very large, they were concerned about finding buyers. Seeing this, agricultural extension officers introduced and connected the cooperative with CJ Foods Vietnam in Long An province to export Chinese cabbage to South Korea.

"From then on, I and the members of the cooperative decided to bring Chinese cabbage to grow in Quang Son," Mrs. Toan recalled.

With strong support in terms of technology, fertilizers, etc., the cooperative started producing VietGAP-certified Chinese cabbage. In June 2022, the cooperative partnered with CJ Foods Vietnam to cultivate 18 hectares of Chinese cabbage.

Every beginning is difficult, and the Chinese cabbage crop revealed some limitations. During the cultivation process, the cooperative members followed the techniques, so the cabbage grew very well, but at the crucial moment of harvesting, weaknesses emerged.

Chinese cabbage produced in Quang Son, meeting VietGAP standards, has been exported to South Korea.

“At the end of August 2022, the first cabbage crops were 40-45 days old. I surveyed them and thought they looked good, so I advised the members to harvest them. But at that time, many insisted on waiting until they were 65 days old before cutting. Then, on the 55th day, these cabbage crops started to turn yellow, and when cut open, the insides were rotten. The entire cabbage crop was ruined,” Ms. Toan recalled.

Harvest the sweet fruits

With her experience, the Cooperative Director found solutions and helped members reap the rewards. She discussed with the members and emphasized that orchards planted 45-50 days prior to harvest must be completed.

The Chinese cabbage from Thinh Phat Cooperative is highly rated for quality by its partners.

Based on her scientific knowledge, she explained that Quang Son is newly settled land with good nutrients, allowing the Chinese cabbage to grow quickly and therefore need to be harvested earlier.

In other regions where the soil is contaminated with bacteria or toxins due to excessive pesticide residue, Chinese cabbage takes longer to harvest.

The cooperative has brought significant income to its members growing VietGAP-certified Chinese cabbage. On average, 1 hectare of Chinese cabbage yields 30 tons per crop, with well-cared-for households achieving 60 tons. Over the past three years, after deducting expenses of approximately 120-140 million VND, households growing Chinese cabbage have earned a profit of about 200 million VND per hectare per year.

Ms. Toan shared her experience, saying that during the rainy season, cabbage grown in Quang Son typically reaches an average weight of over 1kg per plant before being ready for harvest. During the rainy season, the company accepts plants weighing 500 grams or more, while in the dry season, the minimum weight is 700 grams or more.

On 1 hectare of land, the cooperative grows two consecutive crops of Chinese cabbage, then rotates with growing radishes, carrots, etc. The cooperative notes that it is not advisable to plant the same type or variety of vegetable simultaneously on more than 10 hectares.

Because if too much is planted at once, it will be impossible to harvest in time, leading to spoilage of the vegetables. The cooperative discovered these lessons from the very first season.

The Dak Glong district authorities assessed that Thinh Phat Cooperative's VietGAP-certified cabbage production has contributed to helping farmers change their production mindset.

Currently, the cooperative has 20 households cultivating 20 hectares of Chinese cabbage. The cooperative has signed a product consumption contract with CJ Foods Vietnam Company at a stable farm-gate price of 7,000 VND/kg.

Each month, the cooperative supplies 50-100 tons of VietGAP-certified Chinese cabbage to the company. Besides securing a market for the product, the cooperative also collaborates with dealers and companies if farmers need to purchase fertilizer at a lower price.

Thinh Phat Agricultural - Medicinal Herbs - Service - Trade Cooperative was honored to receive a certificate of commendation and recognition as an exemplary advanced cooperative from the People's Committee of Dak Nong province for the period 2021-2023.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/giam-doc-htx-thinh-phat-nguoi-nang-tam-cai-thao-dak-nong-230709.html