Hai Phong farmers busy with Tet vegetable crop

Agricultural cooperatives in Hai Phong are entering the peak production period to supply abundant vegetables, ensuring quality, to serve consumer demand during the Binh Ngo Tet holiday.

Vegetable growing areas in preparation for the Binh Ngo New Year in Nguyen Luong Bang commune are bustling with activity.

Wishing you a bountiful harvest

In mid-November, in the fields of Duoi village, Gia Phuc commune, the atmosphere of production is more bustling. On each bed of green mustard, kohlrabi, and young cabbage that has just taken root, people are busy watering, mounding, and fertilizing in time for the Tet crop.

Ms. Vu Thi Hue in Duoi village said: “The current weather is very favorable for growing vegetables for Tet. This year, my family planted more than 1 hectare of cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. The kohlrabi is harvested early, but some types take more than 100 days to harvest. Traders in the village come to buy the vegetables directly.”

In the fields of Nguyen Luong Bang, Dai Son, Tan Hung communes, farmers are also rushing to start the Tet vegetable season. After many years of changing the crop structure, many places have formed concentrated vegetable production areas, supplying thousands of tons of agricultural products each year to the city and neighboring provinces.

Mr. Pham Gia Vu, Director of Le Loi Agricultural Service Cooperative (Yet Kieu Commune) said that with nearly 300 hectares of specialized vegetable cultivation, members of the cooperative proactively grow winter vegetables from August. "Tet is the most important season of the year, so members calculate very carefully to ensure productivity and quality. If the weather is favorable like now, the supply of vegetables will be abundant, not only serving Tet but the winter crop will last until the end of February next year," Mr. Vu said.

One of the great advantages for cooperatives is that Hai Phong city has promoted the program of developing urban agriculture and clean agriculture. Many "4-house" linkage models have been formed, helping people have stable output, reducing risks when prices fluctuate. Many cooperatives are guided to produce according to VietGAP process, have electronic logs to trace the origin, and QR code labels on each bunch of vegetables.

Strengthening links, ensuring safety

Vegetable farmers hope for a bumper crop.

The bright spot in agricultural production today is that cooperative members strengthen their connections and apply digital technology . Many cooperatives set up Zalo groups, use electronic diary software, update crop growth status, weather forecasts, and market prices. Thanks to that, production management is flexible, and information between members and the board of directors is more accurate.

Mr. Vu Viet Le in Do Ha village (Nguyen Luong Bang commune) currently grows 5 sao of kohlrabi, cauliflower, cabbage... in rotation according to the season, and has vegetables to sell all year round. Mr. Le shared: "Nowadays, with modern technology, people often exchange production experiences on Zalo group, whoever lacks any vegetable seeds, there will be someone to provide them immediately. If the harvest is not sold out, post it on the group and there will definitely be buyers."

According to forecasts, the demand for green vegetables, tubers and fruits during the upcoming Lunar New Year will increase by 20-25% compared to normal days. Grasping that trend, agricultural cooperatives in Hai Phong have determined a dual goal: ensuring output while improving quality and food safety.

Mr. Hoang Anh Thu, Deputy Director of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative (Truong Tan Commune) said: “We have been working with a number of private vegetable distribution enterprises since mid-October to sign supply contracts. Vegetables will be harvested in rotation, packaged, labeled, and stored in cool storage before being delivered to clean agricultural product stores. In particular, the cooperative requires members to strictly follow technical procedures and absolutely not use pesticides not on the list.”

The green vegetable fields are preparing for Tet.

Some safe vegetable growing models in An Duong, Kien Thuy, An Lao areas have succeeded in reducing the amount of herbicides by 50 to 70% compared to before. People have learned to use them correctly, in the right dosage, and at the right time. In addition, the management agency has increased residue testing, assigned responsibility to cooperatives and consuming enterprises, and ensured the quality of agricultural products when supplied to the market.

Compared to previous years, this year the weather is more stable, making production more favorable for people. However, output still depends largely on the consumer market. Producing vegetables for Tet not only serves short-term consumption needs but also prepares for a more sustainable agricultural sector. The bold investment and application of technical advances by cooperatives and the expansion of consumption links are creating new momentum for Hai Phong’s rural economy.

According to the Hai Phong City Cooperative Union, the city currently has more than 500 cooperatives operating in the agricultural sector. Although there are no specific statistics on the number of vegetable growing cooperatives, the western part of the city is stronger.

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nong-dan-hai-phong-tat-bat-vao-vu-rau-tet-526644.html