Minh Tien melon season

A typical example is the family of Mr. Nong Thanh Khoa in Khuan Puc village, who have been cultivating about 2 acres of watermelon for many years. Mr. Khoa started planting in February, and after less than 3 months, he began harvesting. This year's watermelon crop was particularly favorable thanks to good weather; there was no rain during the flowering period, so the plants set fruit evenly.

The average watermelon weighs between 2 and 4 kg, with few small ones; some even weigh up to 5-6 kg. The estimated yield for the entire season is about 15 tons. With a stable selling price of 8,000 VND/kg, his family could earn around 120 million VND – an impressive figure from this short-term crop.

Mr. Khoa shared: "This is the fifth year our family has grown watermelons. The weather has been favorable, so the watermelons are beautiful, sweet, and less susceptible to pests and diseases. Compared to previous years, this season will bring in higher income."

Right next to it is the watermelon field of Mr. Hoang Van Tuyen's family. His family cultivates 1.5 acres of watermelons and is one of the earliest watermelon growers in Minh Tien, with over 10 years of experience.

Thanks to having four family members working for him, he didn't need to hire outside help, and the investment cost for one melon crop was only about 17 million VND, including seeds, plastic bags for covering the soil, and fertilizer.

With good yields and favorable selling prices, Mr. Tuyen expects to earn around 100 million VND this season. This is a significant profit margin compared to many other traditional crops.

Mr. Tuyen said: "Since switching to watermelon cultivation, I have seen a clear economic benefit, many times greater than with other crops."

The entire watermelon cultivation area in Minh Tien commune is developed on reclaimed land from the lake – an area with sandy loam soil, rich in alluvial deposits, very suitable for watermelon cultivation. On average, the commune cultivates about 30 hectares annually.

People in Minh Tien commune are harvesting melons.

However, this year, due to the slow receding of the lake water, the planted area has decreased to about 10 hectares, mainly concentrated in villages such as Khuan Puc and Lang Sao… Nevertheless, thanks to favorable weather and proactive measures in controlling pests and diseases such as green caterpillars, leaf-rolling caterpillars, and fungi, the yield and quality of watermelons are still ensured.

Notably, Minh Tien commune has established two watermelon farming cooperatives, each attracting more than 20 households. This is an important foundation that helps watermelon growers connect and support each other in terms of technology, product consumption, improving production efficiency, and gradually building the Minh Tien watermelon brand in the market.

According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, Hoang Van Canh: "Taking advantage of the land along the river, streams, and Thac Ba Lake, many households in the area have developed watermelon cultivation. This year, the weather is favorable, promising a bountiful harvest for farmers. Therefore, the commune is promoting and encouraging people to develop this crop in the future to increase the efficiency of agricultural production."

Khac Diep - Mai Huyen (Luc Yen District Information and Culture Center)

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/351235/Minh-Tien-mua-dua.aspx