From the beginning of the year until now, people in Ngoc Hien district have cultivated over 373 hectares of vegetables, reaching 37.3% of the plan, an increase of 5.4% compared to the same period last year. These crops are grown to serve tourist destinations, markets, and local residents. The main crops grown are cabbage, cucumbers, long beans, okra, bitter melon, gourds, and pumpkins.

Ms. Tran Thi Minh, residing in Rach Tho hamlet, Dat Mui commune, has been cultivating vegetables on vacant land around her house for over 5 years. With approximately 1,000 square meters, Ms. Minh grows vegetables year-round using a mixed cropping system, employing netting to protect the plants such as cabbage, spinach, and other leafy greens. Each day, her family earns between 150,000 and 250,000 VND; after deducting expenses, they make a profit of over 7 million VND per month. Because they understand market demand, their sales are always stable.

Mrs. Tran Thi Minh's lush green vegetable garden.

Mrs. Tran Thi Minh's lush green vegetable garden.

Ms. Tran Thi Minh shared: “This area has saltwater year-round, but the land area is vast, so I decided to improve the soil to grow vegetables and fruit trees. Initially, I only planted them in styrofoam containers for my family's consumption. After a while, seeing that the vegetables grew well, I expanded the cultivation. When the vegetables increased, I started selling them at the market and supplying them to tourist destinations in the commune. This model is easy to implement; the most important thing is to be diligent in caring for the plants. During the hot season, you have to water them regularly and use netting to provide shade, but in return, the vegetables grow quite well this season.”

Ms. Thieu Thi Thuy, from Rach Tho hamlet, Dat Mui commune, chose to grow papaya, pumpkin, and cantaloupe to supply tourist destinations and local residents. Although these crops require a long time to grow, with her diligence, hard work, application of science and technology, and understanding of market demand, Ms. Thuy consistently earns high profits each season. Ms. Thuy said: “I find this land suitable for growing fruit trees and vines because the soil here has a lot of fertilizer mixed in. The land around my house is only 500 square meters, but I have been growing papaya and cantaloupe for over six years now, and every year it's been profitable, with high prices, and very popular with the locals because I don't use pesticides and the fruit is sweet and delicious.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Diem Kieu, President of the Women's Union of Dat Mui Commune, said: “In the past, the Union has actively encouraged women to participate in production, increase family income, and replicate effective economic models. As a result, many women have boldly adopted models such as fish farming, livestock breeding, and small-scale trading... In particular, the model of growing vegetables and fruit trees has been implemented by many women. To support the market for vegetables, the Union introduces them to tourist destinations in the area for product consumption. In the future, the Union will continue to encourage women to expand the model of growing vegetables and fruit trees; and coordinate with specialized departments to provide training on cultivation methods to achieve higher yields than before.”

With a determination to diversify crops and livestock on the same land to develop family economy, even though Ngoc Hien district is a saline area year-round, thanks to hard work and the application of scientific and technical advancements in production, the model of growing vegetables has been widely implemented by the people, contributing to the economic development of the locality.

Huynh Tu

Source: https://baocamau.vn/nong-dan-vung-man-trong-mau-tang-thu-nhap-a38726.html