The effectiveness of crop structure conversion in highland communes

Mr. Ma Van Kien and his wife in Trung Thanh hamlet pack cucumbers to deliver to the purchasing unit.

At the end of 2024, introduced by the Agricultural Service Center of Vo Nhai district, Thuong Nung commune cooperated with Dai Thang Crop and Poultry Cooperative (Son Duong district, Tuyen Quang province) to implement a cucumber growing model. However, when the commune started implementing it, many households were hesitant because they were used to growing rice and corn and had never switched to other crops.

Ms. Luong Thi My Chai, Chairwoman of Thuong Nung Commune People's Committee, shared: Realizing this is a good opportunity to increase income on the land areas that are inefficiently cultivated, we have directed the staff to go to each house to propagate, mobilize, and explain the benefits of the model. Along with that, my family also pioneered planting 3 sao so that people can see the effectiveness.

Thanks to the drastic intervention of the commune government, technical support, deferred payment of materials and commitment to purchase products from Dai Thang Crop and Poultry Cooperative, 25 households in Trung Thanh and Tan Thanh hamlets have boldly planted 5 hectares of cucumbers.

More than 3 months ago, people started planting and have been harvesting for nearly 30 days, averaging about 4 tons per day, with prices ranging from 3,000-9,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Ma Van Kien in Trung Thanh hamlet excitedly said: My family grows 9 sao of cucumbers, has already harvested nearly 10 tons of fruit, and is expected to harvest for about 10 more days until the end of the season. After deducting all expenses, each sao earns a profit of about 7 million VND. Compared to growing corn and rice, the income from growing cucumbers is many times higher.

Mr. Luong Van Tien, also from Trung Thanh hamlet, said: At first, I only planned to try planting 3 sao, but seeing that the cooperative guaranteed the output, I boldly expanded to 9 sao. Many days, I had to hire more people to harvest in time. I will continue to plant the following crops and increase the area to 2 more sao.

From the initial success, many other households in Thuong Nung are also planning to register to grow cucumbers for the next crop. The commune People's Committee also plans to expand by 3 hectares in the next crop.

Ms. Luong Thi My Chai said: Although people want to plant continuously, we will promote crop rotation by planting green beans, then planting the next cucumber crop. This will ensure soil fertility and prevent pests and diseases.

It can be seen that the conversion to cucumber not only brings higher income but also helps the people of Thuong Nung change their production mindset. This is the premise for the people of the highlands to rise out of poverty, turning ineffective fields into "golden" lands to increase family income.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202505/hieu-qua-chuyen-doi-co-cau-cay-trong-o-xa-vung-cao-9cb109d/