The effectiveness of the agricultural economic model associated with tourism

In Krong Buk district, some farmers have boldly invested in an agricultural model associated with tourism. This economic model has initially contributed to increasing the value of agricultural products, creating jobs, increasing income, promoting the shift from purely agricultural production to services, helping farmers to be more attached to the countryside and their fields and gardens.

GIFA Farm strawberry farm is over 2 hectares in village 9 (Ea Ngai commune) attracting many people and tourists to visit and experience. Mr. Dinh Tien Dang (born in 1985, in Da Lat city, Lam Dong province) is the manager of this farm. In the "land of thousands of flowers", Mr. Dang's family also has a farm growing strawberries, vegetables, tubers, and fruits combined with tourism .

Mr. Dang said that in 2020, he and a friend went to Krong Buk district to play. Seeing that the climate and soil here were quite similar to Da Lat, he and his friend decided to cooperate and invest in a strawberry farm in Ea Ngai commune. Mr. Dang meticulously selected strawberry varieties, invested in irrigation systems, planting racks, and roofs to create a unique ecological farm like Da Lat. After 3 years of trial planting, in September 2024, GIFA Farm strawberry farm went into operation, serving tourists.

Mr. Dinh Tien Dang (left cover), manager of GIFA Farm strawberry farm, shares about the strawberry growing model combined with tourism.

Strawberry plants start to yield fruit after about 3.5 months of planting. For strawberry plants to produce even, beautiful, high-quality fruit depends largely on temperature, humidity, nutrition, and water pH. According to Mr. Dang, although strawberry plants need a lot of sunlight, the temperature must be cool. If the weather is too sunny, the plants will not flower and the leaves will turn yellow. Therefore, strawberry plants are planted and cared for scientifically with a drip irrigation system, saving water, labor, and costs while the plants grow and develop better and more evenly. The way to make beds must also be carefully calculated and arranged reasonably so that the plants can absorb enough light, grow strongly, and increase the ability to flower and bear fruit. Accordingly, Mr. Dang grows strawberry beds on iron shelves about 1 meter high. The strawberry growing medium is mainly coconut fiber and earthworms, all covered with nylon so that when the strawberries bear fruit, they do not come into contact with the soil and are not affected by pests or diseases. Strawberry plants are grown and cared for according to organic production processes to produce large, bright red and delicious fruit.

In addition, Mr. Dang also raises nearly 100 geese and ducks. Every 4-5 weeks, he releases the geese and ducks into the strawberry gardens to eat grass, creating a beautiful lawn and saving on the cost of hiring workers to trim the grass. In addition to serving tourists who come to visit, experience, and buy strawberries in the garden after picking them themselves, Mr. Dang also supplies strawberries to many stores and supermarkets in Buon Ma Thuot City, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and exports them abroad. On average, every day, Mr. Dang's strawberry garden exports 200 kg of fresh strawberries with an average price of 120,000 - 500,000 VND/kg depending on the size of the fruit; the small fruits are used to make jam, wine, and frozen strawberries... GIFA Farm strawberry farm is creating stable jobs for 9 local workers, with a salary of 5 - 9 million VND/person/month.

Products of GIFA Farm strawberry farm are classified, boxed and delivered to customers.

In addition to strawberries, GIFA Farm is experimenting with growing peony grapes, passion fruit, etc. Mr. Dang plans to continue growing tomatoes and melons if successful to diversify the fruit products supplied to the market as well as "renew" the tourism experience products for visitors.

Like many localities in the province, Krong Buk district has strengths in nature, landscape, environment, climate, along with the cultural and spiritual beauty of ethnic communities that are preserved and promoted. This is the available potential for people to invest in developing agricultural tourism, community tourism, and ecology.

Mr. Phan Hoang Lam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Krong Buk district, said: "The district encourages the development of agricultural economy associated with tourism, focusing on large-scale farm economic models with key crops of high economic value such as durian, coffee... so that tourists can visit and enjoy local agricultural specialties right in the garden.

In addition, it also encourages the development of separate agricultural tourism economic models. Although small in scale and quite new, they have been contributing to promoting existing potential and advantages, promoting tourism development, and creating jobs for local people.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202504/hieu-qua-tu-mo-hinh-kinh-te-nong-nghiep-gan-voi-du-lich-e4c1ba4/