An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative opens direction for developing high-tech vegetable and fruit growing areas

(GLO)- With the advantage of land and production experience of local people, An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative (An Phu ward, Gia Lai province) is gradually forming a high-tech vegetable and fruit production area.

Not only producing vegetables and fruits according to VietGAP standards, An Phu Thinh Agricultural - Service Cooperative also cooperates in plant breeding, opening up a direction for sustainable development.

From traditional vegetable farm to large raw material area

Over the years, An Phu land has been considered one of the main vegetable and fruit granaries of the province, providing stable supply to the consumption market in the province and provinces and cities such as Dak Lak, Quang Ngai, Da Nang , Hue...

Farmers here have a long tradition of growing vegetables, each household owns at least 0.5 sao of land for growing vegetables. Thanks to their flexibility in grasping market demand, people have proactively produced off-season vegetables compared to other regions to reduce price risks.

Local workers take care of vegetable seedlings at An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative. Photo: ND

Taking advantage of suitable climate and soil conditions, since 2019, An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative has invested in building greenhouses, machinery, and equipment to produce high-quality vegetable and fruit varieties, helping local people no longer depend on vegetable seeds from other provinces.

According to information from An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative, the current vegetable and fruit material area of ​​the joint production unit is about 105 hectares. Of which, 2 hectares are VietGAP certified; the rest is linked with members, mainly pineapple production (50 hectares) and South American banana cultivation (50 hectares).

The entire production area is equipped with an advanced and economical irrigation technology system, ensuring productivity and quality.

High quality South American banana varieties are produced at An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative. Photo: ND

Mr. Tran Ngoc Chinh (Group 14, An Phu Ward) shared: For many years, his family's income has mainly depended on 4 sao of green onions produced year-round. Previously, each crop, he often went to the old Binh Dinh province to buy seeds to plant.

“Recently, I heard that An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative produces local onion seeds with guaranteed quality, so I am looking into switching to ordering here to reduce travel costs as well as feel more secure about the origin of the seeds,” said Mr. Chinh.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Nam (group 14) commented: "Participating in VietGap vegetable production, I see that the process of cultivating vegetables such as sweet cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spicy cabbage, chrysanthemum, Malabar spinach, bitter melon, cucumber, tomato, onion... is very strict compared to traditional production. From sterilization, drying the soil to sowing, care, harvesting..., all are fully recorded. This is the right direction and suitable for the needs of today's consumers."

Mr. Bui Ngoc Nam takes care of VietGAP vegetables and fruits in a greenhouse. Photo: ND

In addition to producing VietGap vegetables and fruits to meet consumer demand, the Cooperative is now also collaborating to produce high-quality plant varieties such as bananas, coffee, passion fruit, MD2 pineapple, etc.

Members contribute funds, working days and techniques. After each sale, the investment costs are deducted before the profits are shared. This method helps to exploit the capacity of each member and create a source of income for the cooperative to develop sustainably.

Towards high-tech agricultural zones

An Phu field used to be the main rice growing area of ​​Gia Lai . However, over time, people in the upstream areas of streams and irrigation works grew coffee and pepper, leading to frequent droughts in the downstream areas, forcing people to switch to growing vegetables and fruits. This change has formed the large vegetable and fruit growing area as it is today.

Taking advantage of the infrastructure system invested in previous years, recently, An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative has promoted cooperation with schools, enterprises producing VietGAP vegetables and fruits and propagating high-tech crops such as: South American bananas, MD2 pineapples, Queen pineapples...

Currently, the Cooperative is producing 2 hectares of vegetables and fruits, certified by the TQC CGLOBAL Testing and Certification Center as VietGAP to supply schools and companies in the province.

High quality tissue-cultured South American bananas are prepared to be brought to the greenhouse. Photo: ND

In particular, the Cooperative cooperates with research institutes to receive South American banana seeds using tissue culture method, nurtured in the Cooperative's nursery before supplying to farms in Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Dong Nai... with a monthly output of 100,000-200,000 disease-free seedlings, ensuring high productivity and quality.

It is expected that by 2025, the cooperative's revenue will reach about 5 billion VND, creating stable jobs for 10 regular workers and many seasonal workers.

According to Director of An Phu Thinh Agricultural-Service Cooperative Tran Cong Quang, for many years, An Phu people have had a long tradition of growing vegetables but cultivation is mainly based on experience, heavily dependent on the consumer market, and rarely applies VietGAP processes. Therefore, the Cooperative has developed a strategy for producing safe vegetables and fruits according to VietGAP standards, providing stable supply to schools, restaurants and collective kitchens of businesses in the province.

“At the same time, we cooperate with businesses to produce high-quality plant varieties. The goal is to create a breakthrough and build a specialized high-tech vegetable and fruit growing area in An Phu in the coming years,” Mr. Quang informed.

This is considered a new direction contributing to increasing land value, promoting the potential and advantages of the traditional vegetable and fruit growing area of ​​An Phu in the coming years.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/htx-nong-nghiep-dich-vu-an-phu-thinh-mo-huong-phat-trien-vung-rau-qua-cong-nghe-cao-post573737.html