Growing vegetables at Phuoc Hau Safe Vegetable Cooperative (Phuoc Hau commune, Long Ho district, Vinh Long province).
Mr. Tran Van Chien, 62 years old, in Phuoc Hanh B hamlet, Phuoc Hau commune, Long Ho district, is a farmer with over 30 years of farming experience and is currently a member of the Phuoc Hau Safe Vegetable Cooperative. He said that currently, growing mustard greens is easier than before because seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. are easily purchased at stores and agents. Farmers are instructed on safe cultivation and production techniques by commune and district technical staff. The output of mustard greens is very favorable because traders come to the fields to buy, and there are fewer "cries for help" like with oranges, durians, or Japanese purple sweet potatoes.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection of Vinh Long province, in the province, vegetables used for daily meals are often grown by farmers and can be divided into the following types: leafy vegetables (such as lettuce, watercress, green mustard, Malabar spinach, water spinach, green onions, coriander, etc.), root vegetables (including cassava, white radish, onion, etc.) and fruit vegetables (such as chili, squash, bitter melon, etc.). Most of these vegetables are easy to grow, adapt well to natural conditions in the province, have a short production time, low investment capital (several million VND/cong), so they are chosen by many farmers, especially for households with little land, poor households or high land areas that are not convenient for rice cultivation.
According to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vinh Long province, in the first 5 months of this year, while the prices of fruits and sweet potatoes dropped sharply, only coconuts and vegetables of all kinds remained at high prices. Specifically, from the beginning of May 2025 to now, the prices of all kinds of farm produce in the province have increased by 25-72% compared to April 2025. At Thanh Loi Cooperative (Binh Tan District), the selling price (highest) of sweet cabbage is 9,000 VND/kg (up 2,500 VND/kg), water spinach is 8,000 VND/kg (up 3,000 VND/kg), watercress is 50,000 VND/kg (up 21,000 VND/kg), cucumber is 10,000 VND/kg (up 2,000 VND/kg), regular lettuce is 11,000 VND/kg (up 3,000 VND/kg)... This encourages farmers to invest in expanding production. Currently, in addition to traditional vegetable growing areas, the vegetable growing movement is spreading rapidly. In 2024, the whole province will plant 36,546.5 hectares of vegetables and beans of all kinds, with a harvest of nearly 695,000 tons. By 2025, the province's vegetable and bean growing area will increase to more than 37,640 hectares, with an output of nearly 700,000 tons. Thanks to the construction of large specialized areas, concentrated in Binh Tan, Long Ho, Tam Binh districts, Binh Minh town, and the application of clean and safe food production processes, Vinh Long's vegetable products are very diverse, not only consumed in many provinces and cities in the country but also exported... Many types of cooperatives specializing in the production of mustard greens have been formed, standing firm against market fluctuations and production conditions, such as Phuoc Hau Safe Vegetable Cooperative (Phuoc Hau commune, Long Ho district), Thanh Loi Safe Vegetable Cooperative (Thanh Loi commune, Binh Tan district)... A notable point is that although safe vegetable cooperatives have not had large revenues and profits, they operate quite stably and are not in crisis compared to cooperatives operating in other fields.
Normally, vegetables in the Mekong Delta produce large quantities during the dry season, in the winter-spring and summer-autumn crops, concentrated from after Tet until the end of June. Because this is the time when production conditions are very favorable due to dry weather and little rain, vegetables are not damaged or affected by pests. During the dry season or peak flood season, the price of vegetables increases the most. The season with the lowest yield is during and after the flood season (from September, October to the Lunar New Year) because of prolonged rain and flooding, making it difficult to grow vegetables. In recent years, thanks to the convenient distribution system, many fresh vegetables are available in most markets. However, many traders in the markets said that consumers still prefer domestic vegetables because they are both affordable and suitable for their taste. Moreover, the demand for vegetables among the people is increasing, so even though there are many vegetables sold in the market, they are still sold out, without worrying about unsold products.
In recent times, thanks to the increased implementation of technological solutions to improve productivity, quality, and design, especially ensuring basic food hygiene and safety conditions and information and wide promotion in the market, many domestically produced vegetables are always available in supermarkets, markets, etc., easily reaching consumers. In addition, farmers have gradually increased investment in applying science and technology to production. Many households have boldly rented land to expand their area, equipped with modern equipment, and mechanized production to create a large enough output, ensuring quality, safety, low cost, and high competitiveness.
Article and photos: HANH LE
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nong-dan-vinh-long-ung-trong-rau-cai-a187129.html
Comment (0)