Emerging agricultural tourism models

Modern agriculture is no longer simply planting and raising, but needs to be diversified to bring the highest value and income. Production models welcoming visitors and experiences have developed in many places in the country, bringing high economic efficiency. In Thanh Hoa, agricultural tourism models are not many, most of them are still in the budding, opening stage, needing more conditions and mechanisms...

Emerging agricultural tourism models The experimental fish pond in the Anh Duong Farm area in Dinh Tan commune (Yen Dinh) is loved by many children.

In Loc Trach village, Dong Loi commune (Trieu Son), a high-tech grape garden with an area of 2,500m2 is continuing to expand. Along with growing safe vegetables, low-growing fruit trees, and flowers for guests to check in with a total area of 1 hectare, the farm owner, young man Hoang Thanh Minh, has developed the production area into a sightseeing model. Conveniently located right on the main road, every year dozens of student groups from schools in the district and Thanh Hoa city and many individual groups come to experience. According to the farm owner's accounting, in 2023, in addition to an income of more than 400 million VND from grapes, the farm will also have a revenue of about 50 million VND from selling tickets to groups and related services.

This is also a model of converting crop structure from ineffective rice land to new crops such as black grapes, Korean milk grapes and higher value crops in the direction of modern agriculture .

Secretary of Dong Loi Commune Party Committee Le Dinh Son also affirmed: “Mr. Hoang Thanh Minh’s agricultural cultivation area with visitors is the most modern and effective production model in the locality. Although he came later, he did not follow the trend, applied scientific and technical advances in production, and had many innovations and new ways of doing local agriculture.”

Located on the right bank of the Ma River with a poetic landscape, Mr. Pham Quang Vong's Anh Duong Farm in Yen Hoanh village, Dinh Tan commune (Yen Dinh) has many fruit trees and all kinds of fragrant flowers blooming all year round. On a total area of 5 hectares of stable development, he has devoted nearly 2 hectares to growing flowers. From colorful rose gardens, to areas growing sunflowers, bright yellow chrysanthemums according to the season, and many "strange" flowers imported from many other regions. Along the road in the farm are ornamental plants, trellis-style trellises for growing trees and climbing flowers. Interspersed with flower gardens and miniature landscapes are beds and areas for growing vegetables, tomatoes, and bell peppers for visitors to visit and experience. Notably, applying organic farming methods, mostly grown in greenhouses, visitors can pick tomatoes, sweet peppers, strawberries... to eat right in the field. Another highlight of the farm is the 14-acre Koi fish pond, where visitors can experience feeding the fish. Another shallow lake is planted with water lilies imported from Australia by the farm owner, the densely packed flowers rising above the water surface can change color by the hour. Interspersed with areas for visitors to check in are octagonal tents for resting, sitting, watching the scenery, and enjoying tea...

To have a farm oriented towards tourism, Mr. Vong spent nearly 30 years of contemplation and step by step construction. “Since 1994, this deep-lying rice field has been frequently flooded, many families have abandoned it. I boldly bid for 2.2 hectares with a term of 50 years. Then I continued to consolidate and accumulate the surrounding fields to form a 5-hectare farm. After many years of developing farming activities, raising pigs and chickens, although profitable but not high, often with potential risks due to diseases and low prices, I then determined to switch to developing experimental agriculture. Hiring designers, experts on renovation, then accumulating and building to become the model as it is today”, Mr. Pham Quang Vong shared.

The biggest difficulty, not only for Mr. Vong but also for most experimental agricultural models in the province, is the procedures and mechanisms. Although it is barren land and deep-lying land, to renovate and develop production is a complicated process of applying for permits and conversion. Once production has begun, if you want to develop more activities to welcome guests, it is an arduous journey to convert agricultural land to tourism service land, and even if the commune and district levels agree for the common development, it is difficult to have enough authority. Just building tents for tourists to stop by also requires waiting for complete procedures, and then combining activities of selling drinks... must also comply with regulations.

All 3 times we visited the model, we had our own impressions because this place always innovates in decoration and production every season. On the occasion of the recent New Year, when we were there, we witnessed hundreds of visitors coming to take pictures and experience the hustle and bustle. The good news spread far and wide, combined with the promotion of the image on social networks, many people from Thanh Hoa City and distant districts also came here. According to the model owner, every year there are nearly ten thousand visitors coming here, the most during holidays, sometimes thousands of visitors a day.

According to Dinh Tan Commune Party Secretary Vu Xuan Thanh: “The commune must recognize Mr. Pham Quang Vong's way of doing things as a breakthrough in agriculture. From a piece of rice field that few people cared about, even abandoned, he boldly rented it, then bid to build a new agricultural model in the locality. This is also a typical economic model for the commune to successfully build an advanced and exemplary NTM. Up to now, Dinh Tan and his family are building the model into an OCOP tourism product.”

There are dozens of agricultural models combined with tourism service development in the province. Large ones are built by enterprises into large-scale areas such as Yen Trung Tourist Village in Yen Trung Commune (Yen Dinh) of Anh Phat Construction and Trading Investment Corporation, smaller ones such as Golden Cow Farm in Luong Son mountainous commune (Thuong Xuan). Many small models are also starting to develop guest reception services such as Van Hoa Farm in Nga Thach Commune (Nga Son), Mrs. Tran Thi Trang's garden in Quang Luu Commune (Quang Xuong), Mr. Hoang Cong Huong's farm in Ha Long Commune (Ha Trung)...

Through research, due to many reasons such as lack of capital and experience, poor promotion, lack of proper investment, and insufficient conditions, most of the models are still mainly production, and sightseeing services are only a combination. Many model owners accept to develop gradually in each stage, gradually removing difficulties and obstacles, waiting for the breakthrough moment...

Article and photos: Linh Truong

Source