Asparagus grown in the sandy soil of Chi Cong

Việt Nam•15/11/2023

Following Ms. Do Thi Bao – President of the Farmers' Association of Chi Cong commune, we arrived at the sandy area along National Highway 1A, the section passing through the commune, before the first rays of sunlight appeared.

When we arrived, Mr. Pham Van Gia's family was finishing harvesting the last of their asparagus stalks to get them ready for traders to buy. "Asparagus must be harvested before sunrise. That way, it will be fresh, crisp, sweet, and of the best quality," the young farmer said with a smile as he arranged the bundles of fresh asparagus. His family currently has 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of land planted with asparagus, all of which are currently being harvested. According to Mr. Gia, on average, one sao of land yields 8-10 kg of asparagus per day. With prices ranging from 45,000 to 50,000 VND/kg, he earns about 1.5 million VND per day.

Mr. Gia said that his family used to grow red-fleshed dragon fruit. However, in 2021, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult to sell dragon fruit. Recognizing the potential of asparagus, Mr. Gia traveled to Ninh Thuan province to learn asparagus cultivation techniques. Afterward, he boldly bought seedlings to try growing them. Starting with one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of land, he realized that asparagus was very suitable for the soil and climate of Chi Cong sandy soil, so he confidently expanded the asparagus cultivation area by another two sao and encouraged neighboring households to grow this crop as well.

Next to him, Mr. Do Ngoc Hanh, while trimming the asparagus stalks, shared with us: His family owns 1 hectare of land primarily used for growing dragon fruit. Since converting nearly 2 sao (approximately 2,000 square meters) of land to asparagus cultivation, he has noticed that the plants grow quite well and provide a stable income, so he plans to expand his family's asparagus cultivation area in the near future.

It is known that the investment cost for one sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of asparagus, from seedlings, preparing the beds, building trellises, and applying an automatic irrigation system, is about 40-50 million VND. Thanks to the good drainage of the sandy soil and the suitable climate, the asparagus gardens here all develop very well, starting to yield harvests within 4-6 months. To date, 7 households have switched to growing asparagus, covering an area of about 2 hectares. Regarding care, according to the local farmers, disease prevention is the decisive factor for asparagus. When the asparagus sprouts begin to grow, the use of pesticides must be minimized to ensure the cleanest asparagus for consumers.

In April 2023, the Chi Cong Commune Farmers' Association established and launched an asparagus farming cooperative with 6 members. The cooperative holds monthly meetings to share techniques for caring for, fertilizing, preventing diseases, and finding markets for asparagus. Ms. Do Thi Bao, Chairwoman of the Chi Cong Commune Farmers' Association, stated: "Initial assessments show that asparagus in the area is developing well and yielding high productivity. This demonstrates the determination of the farmers to prosper by constantly seeking knowledge, learning, and boldly switching to crops with high economic efficiency. In the future, the association will propose to higher-level agencies to provide support policies for asparagus growers, open more training courses on cultivation techniques, and expand the market for local asparagus, contributing to the sustainable development of this promising crop."

The sandy soil of Chi Cong commune is known as the concentrated dragon fruit growing area, covering 164.2 hectares. However, recently, some households have boldly switched to growing apples and grapes. The asparagus cultivation model has been particularly successful, contributing to the diversification of crops and helping people prosper on their own land.

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