Effective agricultural model associated with tourism experience

During a business trip to Da Lat city, Lam Dong province, Ms. Tran Thi Hanh Quyen asked for some strawberry seedlings to plant on the agricultural land behind her house. Due to the suitable soil and cool climate of the highlands, the strawberry plants grew well. Ms. Tran Thi Hanh Quyen recalled: “At that time, I thought that strawberries were not yet widely grown in the locality, so if the area was expanded, the output of the product would be guaranteed. In addition, the strawberry garden could serve tourists to experience, because Dong Van district currently attracts a lot of tourists, but the tourism products are not diverse, especially agricultural tourism products”.

With that in mind, in 2019, Ms. Quyen's family decided to convert all of their agricultural land and rent more land from local people with a total area of ​​1 hectare to grow strawberries. From bank loans, plus available resources, the family invested in a system of greenhouses, planting racks, and automatic irrigation systems to build a farm in the center of Dong Van town. Strawberry plants are difficult to grow and have many pests and diseases, so they must be monitored regularly during the growing and caring process; through each crop, while working and gaining experience, Ms. Quyen's family's strawberry farm has now developed well and produced fruit regularly.

Strawberry plants are planted from September of the previous year, and begin to be harvested in January of the following year. The harvest season lasts until the end of May, which is also the tourist season on the Dong Van Stone Plateau. In recent years, Ms. Quyen's family's strawberry farm has always been an attractive destination for tourists. Visitors to the farm, in addition to experiencing how to care for and directly harvest strawberries, can also enjoy the fresh, cool air surrounded by rocky mountains.

During the harvest season, on weekends, hundreds of visitors come to the garden to experience and pick fruit. In addition to serving tourists, the strawberry farm supplies products to the market with an average selling price of 250,000 VND/kg. “This model has high economic value. From serving tourists and selling products to the market, the strawberry farm brings in about 500 million VND in revenue each year,” said Ms. Tran Thi Hanh Quyen.

In order to make the most of the cultivated area, Ms. Quyen's family is experimenting with growing milk grapes. Milk grapes are grown on trellises, with strawberries below and milk grapes above. After three years of experimental planting, the milk grapes are growing well and starting to bear fruit. This is a crop that promises to maximize economic efficiency for the farm model because when the strawberry season ends, it is also the time to harvest milk grapes. Ms. Quyen's family also grows many types of seasonal green vegetables, both supplying the market and serving the dining needs of tourists when staying at the family's homestay. Every year, from the revenue from the strawberry farm and accommodation services, Ms. Quyen's family earns billions of dong and creates jobs for many local workers.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vien, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Van district, said: Currently, the district is encouraging the development of agricultural models associated with tourism, such as the farm of Ms. Tran Thi Hanh Quyen's family, which is a typical example that needs to be replicated. In particular, the district will focus on developing farms growing key temperate fruit trees such as pears, plums, peaches, strawberries and medicinal plants, both to serve tourists who come to visit during the flower season and enjoy agricultural specialties right in the garden.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hieu-qua-mo-hinh-nong-nghiep-gan-voi-trai-nghiem-du-lich-post881964.html