Sustainable direction in melon production

Growing cantaloupe in greenhouses at Ngoc Thanh Cantaloupe Cooperative.

Ms. Tran Thi Ut, Director of Ngoc Thanh Melon Cooperative in Phuoc Thanh hamlet, Dong Phuoc commune, Can Tho city, shared: “In the beginning, our business was just a farm with an area of about 2,000 ^{square meters} . We saw that the melons were round, with patterns like jade, and we had high hopes of succeeding with this type of fruit, so we named the brand Ngoc Thanh, and our main direction is to produce organic melons.”

Established in 2019, just two years later, the cantaloupe products of Ngoc Thanh Cantaloupe Farm received VietGAP certification and OCOP 3-star rating at the district level (Chau Thanh district, former Hau Giang province). In May 2023, the Ngoc Thanh Cantaloupe Cooperative was established with 9 members. By the end of 2024, the cooperative's organic cantaloupe had achieved OCOP 4-star rating at the provincial level, opening up a trend of high-tech agriculture in the locality.

On average, the cooperative supplies the market with about 10 tons of organically grown cantaloupe per month.

In 2023, the cooperative collaborated with the Management Board of the Hau Giang High-Tech Agricultural Zone (formerly Hau Giang province) to implement the project "Building a model and transferring technology for producing cantaloupe in greenhouses and diversifying the processing of cantaloupe products." Engineer Tran Ky Nguyen, the project leader, stated: "We have transferred two technological processes for processing cantaloupe wine and dried cantaloupe to the cooperative. This is gradually helping the cooperative master the technology and develop products with a distinctive brand."

From this project, Ngoc Thanh Melon Cooperative invested in machinery and equipment to produce melon wine. Last June, the product was recognized as a 4-star OCOP product by the OCOP Product Evaluation Council of Chau Thanh District, Hau Giang Province (formerly). Ms. Tran Thi Ut expressed: “We hope to receive the technology transfer for processing and preserving products such as pickled young melons and melon juice, to utilize the readily available raw materials at the cooperative and create diverse products from melons.”

In 2024, the cooperative also launched homestays and developed unique tourism products.

From its humble beginnings filled with worries, this cooperative has now established a value chain from cultivation to processing, consumption, and brand building for its cantaloupe products, beginning its journey to expand further in the market.

Text and photos: DANG THU

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/huong-di-ben-vung-trong-san-xuat-dua-luoi-a189159.html