Developing organic onion growing areas - farmers "benefit"

STO - Purple onions have been grown for a long time in Vinh Chau (Soc Trang). Thanks to the suitable land, purple onions have good quality and are favored by domestic and foreign markets. Therefore, to improve the quality and value of purple onions, and to expand the health of consumers and farmers, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Soc Trang province has developed an organic purple onion growing area, aiming to support households with seeds, fertilizers, and techniques so that farmers can gradually switch from traditional onion growing to organic onion growing, contributing to reducing costs and increasing post-harvest profits.

Báo Sóc Trăng•13/05/2025

Every year, Vinh Chau farmers plant about 7,000 hectares of purple onions, of which about 1,700 hectares are seed onions and the rest are commercial onions. Purple onions are grown in Ward 1, Ward 2, Vinh Phuoc Ward and communes such as Vinh Hai, Lac Hoa, Lai Hoa, Vinh Tan, Vinh Hiep, Vinh Phuoc Ward. In order for purple onions to be consumed conveniently and have a good selling price, in recent years, Vinh Chau town has structured onion planting according to the seasonal calendar and the purple onion planting season starts from the 11th lunar month every year, this is called the early onion crop, serving the Lunar New Year market. The seasonal onion crop (main crop) is planted in the 12th lunar month of the previous year and harvested in February of the following year. The seed onion crop will be planted from February and harvested completely in April of the year.

Ms. Thach Thi Khuong, Wath Pich Hamlet, Vinh Phuoc Ward, Vinh Chau Town (Soc Trang) harvests organically grown purple onions. The onions have bright colors, large, uniform bulbs. Photo: THUY LIEU

Ms. Thach Thi Khuong, Wath Pich Hamlet, Vinh Phuoc Ward, Vinh Chau Town shared: "I have grown purple onions organically for 2 seasons. I have noticed that the onion yield has increased from 100 - 200kg/ ^1,000m2 , the investment cost has decreased from 500,000 - 1 million VND/ ^1,000m2 . Thanks to the technical staff's guidance on how to plant and care for onions and I have followed the correct cultivation techniques, the onions have always grown well, the onions have beautiful colors, and the bulbs are large. With an area of ^2,000m2 of organically grown purple onions, the onion yield is 4.2 tons/crop/year, the selling price of purple onions is 22,000 VND/kg, after deducting costs, the profit is more than 40 million VND (good profit as above, a part of the professional sector has supported seeds and fertilizers throughout the growing season). Currently, I am growing onion seeds to prepare the seed source for the organic onion growing season, according to the upcoming recommended crop calendar of the professional industry. I hope to continue to receive support from the professional industry to grow organic purple onions, to maintain and improve the quality of purple onions and move towards completely organic purple onion growing."

“I have been growing purple onions for more than 20 years, so I understand the characteristics of onions. However, in recent years, the weather has been unusual, so there are years when growing purple onions that are successful, and years when growing purple onions that are not. However, in the past 2 years, thanks to the State's support for organic onion growing and recommendations, I have been cultivating onions according to the industry's seasonal calendar. Since then, the onion crops have always been "successful", bringing high income to my family. I have 3,000m2 ^of organic commercial onion growing, sowing onions in the 12th lunar month of 2024 and harvesting in February 2025 (onions are harvested after 60 days of planting). With the above area, the yield reached 6.6 tons, at that time onions were sold for 22,000 VND/kg, after deducting all expenses, the profit was more than 60 million VND", said Mr. Cao Van Minh, Huynh Ky hamlet, Vinh Hai commune, Vinh Chau town.

Organically grown purple onions are often introduced to delegates at important fairs, conferences and seminars in Soc Trang province. Photo: THUY LIEU

According to Mr. Minh, after 2 seasons of organically growing purple onions, the quality of onions has clearly improved. The onions have a more beautiful color, the bulbs are bigger, so the selling price is higher than onions grown outside. Especially during the growing season, inorganic fertilizers are not used, but only organic fertilizers and microorganisms are used, making the soil for growing onions more fertile, so when Mr. Minh switched from growing onions to growing watermelons, the watermelon yield was high, the melons were sweet and delicious, and sold at a better price. In the next onion growing season, Mr. Minh will continue to grow onions organically, because when growing organic onions, the investment cost is reduced by 500,000 - 1 million VND/ ^1,000m2 , no chemicals are used, reducing environmental pollution, protecting the health of farmers and consumers.

Comrade Tran Trong Khiem - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Soc Trang province said that according to Decree No. 109/2018/ND-CP, dated August 29, 2018 of the Government, "Organic agriculture is a production system that protects land resources, ecosystems and human health, based on ecological cycles, biodiversity adapting to natural conditions, not using factors that have negative impacts on the ecological environment, is a combination of traditional techniques and scientific advances to benefit the common environment, creating fair relationships and a balanced life for all subjects in the ecosystem". From the benefits of organic agriculture for the ecosystem, especially human health, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Soc Trang province has developed an organic agriculture project for the period 2022 - 2025 and orientation to 2030 on crops, livestock, and aquatic products to deploy to localities in the province. In particular, purple onion is a typical color crop of Vinh Chau town that is being implemented in the project. Up to now, the area of organic purple onion cultivation in Vinh Chau town is more than 3.2 hectares. In the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of the province will continue to expand the area of organic purple onion cultivation according to the project to farmers in Vinh Chau town.

"After more than 2 years of receiving and implementing the Organic Agriculture Project deployed by the Department of Agriculture and Environment of the province in the town on longan and purple onions, households participating in the project are very excited, because they are supported with farming techniques, seeds and fertilizers, so profits have increased by about 50% compared to before the support. Particularly for purple onions, the town's annual planting area is about 7,000 hectares, of which more than 32% of onions have been cultivated according to VietGAP processes and cultivated in an organic direction. It is expected that in the coming time, the unit will continue to replicate the organic purple onion cultivation model to farmers to improve the quality of purple onions supplied to the domestic market, especially serving the export market", informed Mr. Chau Van Then - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vinh Chau town.

THUY LIEU

Source: https://baosoctrang.org.vn/nong-nghiep/202505/phat-trien-vung-trong-hanh-tim-huu-co-nong-dan-huong-loi-8e93321/