People benefit from the '4-house' association growing Atlantic potatoes

Atlantic potato growing model in Binh Duong ward (Dong Trieu city). Photo: Thanh Hang

Dong Trieu is one of the key agricultural production localities of the province, with many efforts to innovate methods, apply scientific and technical advances in farming, especially building clean agricultural areas. In particular, the Atlantic potato growing model with the "4-house" association has been successfully put into mass cultivation over the past 13 years.

At the end of 2012, Orion Vina Food Company Limited (Korea) cooperated with Dong Trieu City to implement a project to plant 10 hectares of potatoes with the aim of building a raw material area for the enterprise. At that time, Binh Duong Agricultural Service Cooperative was directly assigned to take charge. On the enterprise side, it coordinated with the Institute of Agricultural Biology to ensure the supply of seeds, anti-mold microorganisms, technical support and ensure the purchase of all at high prices. On the cooperative side, it acted as a representative, on behalf of the people, to commit and sign contracts with the enterprise; receive and supply seeds, transfer science and technology, supervise the process, provide irrigation services, land preparation, etc.

Mr. Trinh Xuan Duong, Deputy Director of Binh Duong Agricultural Service Cooperative, shared: In the beginning, the model was difficult to implement because people were not yet familiar with strict farming processes. To create trust for people, authorities at all levels from the city to the ward have actively implemented support mechanisms along with the stimulation of demand from associated parties. The most important thing is the commitment to ensure the purchase of all products for farmers at stable prices, making people trust and feel secure in planting and caring for plants to ensure the highest quality of harvested tubers, meeting the requirements set by the company.

With a close and effective cooperation mechanism, up to now, more than 1,500 households in Binh Duong ward have participated in growing Atlantic potatoes, bringing the total Atlantic potato growing area to 126 hectares/198 hectares of winter crops in 2024-2025. It is estimated that each sao of potatoes brings in a profit of 2.5 - 3.5 million VND, much higher than some other plants and crops grown in parallel in the crop. It is expected that in the winter crop of 2025-2026, Dong Trieu will increase the Atlantic potato growing area to about 165 hectares.

Members of Binh Duong Agricultural Service Cooperative (Dong Trieu City) harvest Atlantic potatoes in February 2025.

Not only suitable for dry, loose soil and relatively high temperature climate in the western localities of the province, Atlantic potatoes also adapt very quickly to loamy soil and temperatures that are always lower than the average in the eastern localities such as Tien Yen, Dam Ha, Hai Ha...

For example, in Tien Yen district, the Atlantic potato growing model has been implemented for 3 years with a total area of ​​over 30 hectares, concentrated in Dong Hai and Dong Ngu communes. In the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring crop, Hai Lang and Yen Than communes will test the planting of Atlantic potatoes of Orion Vina Food Company Limited for the first time. Thanks to the application of systematic technical measures in care, the potatoes grown here all have high yields, about 10-12 tons/ha. Ms. Tran Thi Lua, Hai Lang commune, Tien Yen district, shared: "Previously, after harvesting rice, people often left the land to wait for the next crop, which was very wasteful. Since being encouraged and guided by the government and the agricultural sector, people have started growing potatoes to earn more income. With the purchase price of grade 1 potatoes at about 8,300 VND/kg, after deducting costs, we get better profits than some other crops. Next winter, my family will continue to participate in this model."

According to Ms. Do Thi Duyen, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Yen district, the total potato output in Tien Yen district in the 2024-2025 winter crop is about 450 tons. Currently, after harvest, the output of qualified potatoes accounts for 70-90% of the total output. The number of unqualified potatoes is also purchased by some livestock enterprises right in the field. Potatoes have the characteristic of making good soil, so after the potato crop, if they grow rice or other crops, they will benefit, grow and develop better. In the coming time, the district will continue to tighten the Atlantic potato production chain, continue to expand the area and mobilize people to update and innovate modern farming processes, and increase the rate of mechanization. Thereby, optimizing and increasing profits from this linkage model as well as income for people.

Farmers in Na Bac village, Dong Hai commune, Tien Yen district mobilize mechanization to harvest Atlantic potatoes. Photo: Viet Hoa.

Along with Tien Yen district, Dam Ha district, Hai Ha also has plans to expand the production scale of Atlantic potato varieties, becoming the main winter-spring crop in the coming years, not only creating additional income for farmers after more than 3 months of planting, but also contributing significantly to limiting the situation of land left idle in the winter crop in the whole province.

The success of the potato production model according to the chain linkage also opens up opportunities for many other agricultural products to form and develop value chains in the coming time, strongly promoting the transformation of the mindset from "agricultural production" to "agricultural economy" in accordance with the goal of the Project on developing a chain of key agricultural products at the provincial level until 2025, with a vision to 2030.

Do Hung

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/bao-dien-tu-huong-bao-in-trg4-ngay-2-4-3350982.html