In this context, organizing production in a chain linking businesses and farmers is identified as an inevitable direction, not only helping to stabilize output and improve production efficiency but also increasing the value of local agricultural products.
Recognizing this, the Lao Cai Provincial Agricultural Extension Center has actively played the role of a "bridge," promoting consulting and support activities to link production and consumption between businesses and farmers.
Through the development and implementation of specific linkage models, gradually changing small-scale and fragmented farming practices, the agricultural extension sector in Lao Cai is contributing to opening up a more sustainable and commercial agricultural production direction for the people.
For the 2025-2026 Winter-Spring crop season, the Lao Cai Provincial Agricultural Extension Center proactively researched, selected, and connected with capable businesses to purchase agricultural products, establishing a cucumber production chain in Phong Hai commune. The model was implemented on an 8-hectare area with the participation of 40 households in the Ai Dong and Ai Nam villages – areas with relatively favorable land, water resources, and transportation conditions. This is not just a simple production model, but a fundamental change in the agricultural mindset of the people: contract farming, responding to market signals, with businesses partnering from input to output, with government support, and the proactive and responsible participation of farmers.
To ensure the project achieves its objectives, starting in mid-September 2025, the Lao Cai Agricultural Extension Center assigned its specialized departments to closely coordinate with the Phong Hai Commune People's Committee and participating businesses to conduct surveys and select implementation sites. The production area was identified as needing to be concentrated, contiguous, easily accessible, and with a readily available irrigation water source to meet the technical requirements of cucumber cultivation.
Based on the registration needs of participating households and the production season, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center developed a plan, agreed on the time and location for organizing a conference to implement the model; and simultaneously organized training courses to guide the techniques of planting, caring for, and controlling pests and diseases for cucumber plants.
A key highlight in the implementation process is the agreement and signing of production and consumption linkage contracts between businesses and farmers. Each clause regarding quality standards, purchasing methods, prices, responsibilities, and rights of the parties is discussed openly, building trust among farmers participating in the model.
As one of the households participating in the cucumber farming model in Ai Dong village, Mr. Vuong Minh Hai shared: “Previously, my family mainly cultivated rice, which yielded low income and was very hard work. Since participating in the cucumber farming model under the cooperative program, with technical guidance from agricultural extension officers and guaranteed product purchase by businesses, we feel very secure. We can sell the cucumbers as soon as they are harvested, without worrying about price manipulation. Compared to rice farming, the economic efficiency is much higher.”
Besides generating higher incomes, the model also helps people change their mindset and practices, encouraging them to boldly apply technological advancements to production and gradually move towards commercial agricultural production.
The model for linking cucumber production and consumption in Phong Hai commune is implemented under the mechanism of "the State and the people working together". Accordingly, the State supports seeds and 70% of the materials for production; farmers participating in the model contribute 30% of the cost of purchasing materials according to the prescribed quota; and the enterprise that guarantees product purchase provides support with land preparation machinery, mulching film, and trellis netting to ensure technical requirements during the production process.
This coordinated support not only helps reduce initial investment costs for farmers, but also facilitates their access to advanced production processes, gradually changing farming habits based on traditional experience.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Tu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phong Hai commune, said: "This model not only helps people increase their income but also contributes to changing the mindset of agricultural production in the area. When there are businesses guaranteeing the purchase of products, people feel secure in investing and adhering to technical procedures. In the future, Phong Hai commune will continue to coordinate with specialized departments to expand linkage models suitable to the local conditions."
After following proper technical procedures, the cucumber cultivation areas in the model have now yielded 4-6 harvests (an average of one harvest every two days). Based on the compiled data, the lead unit organized a meeting with participating households to implement the product purchasing plan, clearly announcing the quality standards, time, location, purchasing method, and purchase price of fresh cucumbers.
Currently, farmers are selling watermelons directly from the fields at prices ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 VND per kilogram of fresh fruit, which helps reduce transportation and storage costs and minimize risks in consumption.
A comparison of the economic efficiency between cucumber cultivation in a collaborative model and traditional rice production reveals a clear difference. The cucumber harvesting cycle lasts 45-50 days, with approximately 20 harvests, yielding 70-90 kg/sao/harvest. With an average selling price of around 6,000 VND/kg, cucumber growers can earn 8.4-10 million VND/sao/season; whereas rice cultivation only yields about 2.5 million VND/sao. Besides the economic value, cucumber production also significantly reduces labor costs compared to rice cultivation, especially in strenuous tasks such as transportation, threshing, and drying.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the model, Mr. Dang Thanh Trung, Deputy Director of the Lao Cai Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, said: “Through this model, we aim to change traditional production methods, helping farmers produce according to market demand, ensuring stable outlets and increasing income. In the future, the Center will continue to cooperate with localities and businesses to replicate effective models that are suitable to the conditions of each region.”
The cucumber production model in Phong Hai commune demonstrates that when the State plays a supporting role, businesses act as market leaders, and farmers are the main producers, the agricultural linkage chain will be remarkably effective. From today's lush green cucumber fields, confidence in a sustainable direction for Lao Cai's agriculture is gradually being affirmed. Linking production and consumption is not only a short-term solution but also a long-term key to solving the problem of "bumper harvests leading to low prices," increasing the value of agricultural products, and improving the lives of farmers in the future.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/loi-giai-cho-bai-toan-duoc-mua-mat-gia-post893798.html
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