Vinh Thanh Trung farmers diversify production

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thong - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thanh Trung Commune, in recent times, members and farmers of the commune have boldly converted from ineffective rice-growing land to growing crops, fruit trees and aquaculture. The total cultivated area of the commune is currently 4,652 hectares/crop, of which crops and fruit trees are 1,332 hectares, an increase of nearly 118 hectares compared to 2024. People raise about 247.7 hectares of aquaculture, mainly pangasius, snakehead fish, snakehead fish fry, frogs, etc. "New production models help farmers to be less dependent on rice and bring higher economic value on the same area. Thanks to that, more and more farmers are converting their models, and their lives are also improving," said Mr. Thong.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thong (right) - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thanh Trung commune visited the green-skinned grapefruit garden of Mr. Nguyen Van Tom. Photo: THANH TIEN

In order to help farmers produce effectively and increase their income, the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thanh Trung commune actively encourages people to promote the conversion of production models suitable to local conditions, and supports the application of scientific and technical advances. In particular, the association also supports farmers in accessing capital from the farmer support fund and preferential loan programs from the Social Policy Bank to expand production.

Through the mobilization of the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thanh Trung commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Tom, residing in Vinh Phu hamlet, boldly converted 1 hectare of ineffective rice production land to grow more than 200 green-skinned grapefruit trees. Currently, grapefruit costs more than 30,000 VND/kg, bringing in a good income. Mr. Tom shared: "In previous years, I also opened an ecological garden service for tourists to experience the countryside atmosphere. However, due to my old age, I now mainly sell grapefruit. Especially during the Lunar New Year, I sell about 3-4 tons of fruit to the market, at a price of 35,000-40,000 VND/kg, earning about 120-150 million VND".

In addition to green-skinned grapefruit, Mr. Tom also intercrops some other plants such as guava, orange, coconut, Thai canarium, durian, etc., combined with natural fish farming to increase income. He always focuses on applying organic production through raising earthworms. Earthworms are used to raise natural fish, and worm manure is used to fertilize crops. Thanks to the organic farming model, fruits from Mr. Tom's family garden can be preserved longer and have better quality. "I think that today's farmers will find it difficult to improve their income if they only depend on rice. For those with little land for cultivation, they cannot rely on rice alone to develop their family economy. Converting production is very necessary. Since switching to growing grapefruit, the family's economic efficiency has improved significantly," said Mr. Tom.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, residing in Vinh Quy hamlet, is implementing a model of raising commercial frogs in cages. Currently, 3 frog cages are growing well. If the quantity of frogs is maintained at about 10,000/cage by the end of the season, the yield can reach more than 1 ton, with a profit of nearly 20 million VND. "Since switching to frog farming, my income has improved and my life has become more prosperous. However, because the price of frogs still fluctuates according to the market, my income is not really stable," said Mr. Phuong.

According to Mr. Phuong, many households in the commune also collect frog eggs to supply to other farmers. Currently, frog eggs cost 160,000 VND/kg, and market demand is always high. In addition to raising frogs, he also grows jackfruit on his family's land to diversify his income. According to him, many farmers have switched to a model of combining livestock and crop farming because they see this as a suitable direction. "We have experience in raising livestock and growing crops to achieve high productivity, but we still face difficulties in output. If the authorities and sectors support stable output connections, farmers will feel secure in production and meet market demand," Mr. Phuong suggested.

In the 2023 - 2028 term, the Vinh Thanh Trung Commune Farmers' Association aims to establish 5 new professional farmer associations, aiming to bring farmers to participate in collective economic models. "Currently, people have transformed production quite well. If they join cooperatives and cooperatives to connect with businesses, it will certainly bring more obvious results. We continue to mobilize and support farmers to participate in the collective economy to increase profits and ensure their rights when bringing products to market," Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thong emphasized.

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nong-dan-vinh-thanh-trung-da-dang-hoa-san-xuat-a463431.html