Rice Village rarely grows rice

Farmers in Lua village, Doan Thuong commune, Gia Loc district (Hai Duong) grow vegetables almost all year round and rarely grow rice.

From early morning, farmers in Lua village have been out in the fields tending to and harvesting their spring crops. Almost all of the nearly 30 hectares of agricultural land in Lua village is covered with various vegetable crops; it's rare to see a rice field.

At 6 a.m., Mr. Bui Duc Ngoan went to the field to pump water to irrigate his family's vegetable crops.

Having continuously cultivated vegetables for over half a century, Mr. Ngoan has a wealth of experience. This season, his family planted 1.5 acres of eggplant, corn, and gourds, all of which are now ready for harvest. "Although it's called the Rice Village, the people here only grow vegetables year-round, occasionally planting rice to improve the soil. There are no abandoned fields here; it's difficult for people to rent land to cultivate because everyone is eager to work," Mr. Ngoan said.

Farmers in Lua village grow a wide variety of vegetables, from kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini, and more.

...to okra, green eggplant, purple eggplant, bell peppers, onions, leeks, cucumbers, and zucchini.

The farmers in Lua village are highly experienced in cultivating vegetables. Almost every season, the vegetable crops in the village thrive, yielding high productivity.

Ms. Le Thi Hoa, from Team 2, cultivates 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of gourds, eggplants, and purple eggplants. Ms. Hoa stated that depending on the time of year, each sao of gourds yields a profit of 5-8 million VND. "This season, the gourds are growing well. In just the first four months of this year, a neighbor of mine harvested over 3 tons of fruit, earning 60 million VND," Ms. Hoa said.

Around 7 a.m. every day, farmers in Lua village transport their freshly harvested vegetables and fruits to sell. In the photo: Leeks from a farmer in Lua village are being purchased on the spot by traders.

Farmers in Lua village no longer need to take their grown vegetables and fruits to distant places to sell them, as Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhiem's ​​family buys them right at the beginning of the village. Every day, Mrs. Nhiem buys 1 to 4 tons of vegetables and fruits from the farmers in the village. "The appearance and quality of the vegetables and fruits from the people of Lua village are very popular with buyers," Mrs. Nhiem said.

Vegetables and fruits grown by farmers in Lua village are purchased, packaged, and transported by traders to wholesale markets. "For each plot of land planted with vegetables, farmers earn a profit of 4-5 million VND. Many households have risen out of poverty and achieved stable lives thanks to growing vegetables," added Mrs. Nhiem.

In recent years, many farmers in Lua village have also been growing cantaloupe and cucumbers in greenhouses to improve productivity, quality, and selling price. Of the 13 households in Doan Thuong commune with greenhouse space, 12 are located in Lua village alone.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung's family in Team 1 owns more than 6,200 square meters of land. Greenhouses are used to grow cucumbers and melons. "The yield and production of crops grown in greenhouses are higher than traditional methods. My family grows cucumbers in a greenhouse nearly 2,000 ^m² in size and harvested 17 tons of fruit. The selling price of cucumbers grown in greenhouses is higher than those grown outside, averaging 10,000 - 20,000 VND/kg. Many families in the village are becoming increasingly wealthy thanks to growing vegetables," Ms. Nhung said.

TIEN MANH - DO QUYET

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/lang-lua-it-cay-lua-410098.html