Harvest season on the riverside land

Traders are buying cantaloupes in Thai Bao commune, Gia Binh district.

Just after the heavy rains of late June, Mrs. Bui Thi Mai and four laborers gathered to harvest the remaining watermelons on the riverside land in Trung Thanh village, Dai Lai commune (Gia Binh district). After Typhoon Yagi and the low carrot prices at the beginning of the year, she didn't expect the difficulties to continue into the summer season. “My family owns 6 acres of riverside land for growing crops, which used to be our main source of income. However, just as the plants were bearing fruit, there were two heavy rainstorms, damaging a large area. Watermelons and cantaloupes are heat-loving plants, and prolonged waterlogging caused the fruit to crack, rot, and wither at the base. Yields decreased significantly, reaching only 1.1 tons per acre, whereas in previous years they should have reached 1.5-1.7 tons per acre. The yield was low, but market prices were volatile, sometimes only 4,000-5,000 VND/kg; averaging 3-4 million VND per acre. Only a small batch of watermelons at the end of the season fetched 7,000-8,000 VND/kg,” Mrs. Mai shared sadly.
It is estimated that farmers invest about 4 million VND per sao (approximately 1000 square meters) in watermelon cultivation, and about 3 million VND per sao for cantaloupe, including costs for land preparation, plastic sheeting for covering the beds, seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. With the income they earned recently, Mrs. Mai's family made almost no profit. After harvesting, Mrs. Mai is letting the land rest to prepare for planting carrots at the end of July in the lunar calendar. She plans to plant in staggered cycles, avoiding mass harvesting, and intercropping with herbs and spices to generate short-term income to support long-term crops.
Also a specialized vegetable farming area on alluvial land, Tan Tien village, Cao Duc commune, Gia Binh district, has more than 20 hectares of spring-summer vegetables grown on alluvial land, mainly watermelons and cantaloupes. From the end of April until now, the weather has been unfavorable for the development of watermelons and cantaloupes, which prefer sunny conditions, and has also created conditions for the development of fungi and bacteria causing yellowing leaves and wilting, significantly affecting harvest yields. Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of the village and Director of Tan Tien Agricultural Service Cooperative, said: “We instructed farmers to harvest quickly according to the principle of 'better to harvest while still green than wait until it's overripe,' however, many households only earned 5 million VND/sao (approximately 1000 square meters), essentially breaking even. A few households that harvested later only achieved 8-9 million VND/sao. Currently, the cooperative is directing farmers to quickly clear the land and apply soil enrichment measures to prepare for the upcoming autumn-winter crop.”
It is known that in the summer of 2025, Gia Binh district planted 724 hectares of various crops. Of these, watermelons and cantaloupes were the main crops, covering 457.8 hectares, planted on specialized crop land in the floodplains of Cao Duc, Van Ninh, Dai Lai, and Thai Bao communes… In addition, some other crops such as carrots, pickled mustard greens, coriander, and dill were also planted. From the beginning of the season, the district directed the specialized departments to focus on disseminating information about support policies; advising and guiding farmers on planting techniques, care, and integrated pest management according to the technical requirements for each crop. To date, most of the floodplain land has been harvested, and farmers are drying the soil and preparing to plant autumn-winter crops on an area of approximately 711.7 hectares.
However, the challenge for farming in the floodplains of Gia Binh district in the coming seasons is ensuring production efficiency. Accordingly, localities with floodplain land need to improve planning, transportation and irrigation systems, drainage capacity, and access to irrigation water. They should also diversify crop structures, prioritizing high - value crops with good drought and flood tolerance. Based on this, they should establish appropriate planting schedules for each crop, minimizing mass harvesting that leads to price manipulation. Furthermore, they should promote production linkages, forming large-scale crop production areas, coupled with brand building, the application of modern production methods, and ensuring food safety and hygiene to find stable consumption partners. This will enhance the value of cultivation, helping farmers feel secure in staying on their land and maintaining the green spaces in the floodplains.

Song Giang

Source: https://baobacninh.vn/mua-thu-hoach-tren-at-bai-97980.html