With the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024 fast approaching, Phu Long village (Ham Thuan Bac district), specializing in green vegetable farming, is bustling with activity. Diligent farmers are present in the fields from early morning until late at night, tending to their vegetable gardens to supply the market.
Rows of green vegetables waiting to be sold for Tet (Lunar New Year).
During the twelfth lunar month, over cups of tea and glasses of wine, the most lively topic of conversation among the locals is vegetables. In the fields, farmers are busier than ever, focusing on tending and harvesting vegetables for sale. The roads leading to Phu Truong and Phu Cuong neighborhoods are always bustling with farmers working diligently in the fields, their cheerful chatter adding to the joyful atmosphere of the final harvest of the year. Everyone shares the same anticipation of a substantial income from their carefully cultivated vegetable plots. Groups of farmers work tirelessly in the fields, some bending over to harvest in time for traders to transport the vegetables to the markets. On the other side of the field, others are spreading fertilizer and weeding, covering the newly planted vegetable beds with a vibrant green. Busy tending to over 3 acres of vegetables for Tet (Lunar New Year) sales, including coriander, onions, sweet cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, mint, etc., Mr. Pham Ngoc Thanh from Phu Cuong neighborhood said: “At the end of the year, the weather is very favorable, slightly chilly, so the vegetables have the highest yield of the year. Although the price of vegetables for Tet is not high, we still make a profit from our hard work, whereas with fluctuating prices, we wouldn't feel secure.”
Farmers are busy tending to and harvesting vegetables.
Thanks to its sandy soil and the small water source at the foot of the sand dunes, Phu Long's green vegetables thrive year-round and have a long-standing reputation. To compete effectively, local vegetable growers have focused on growing safe and organic vegetables. Traditional farming methods such as spraying pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers whenever pests or diseases appear have been completely eliminated. As a result, Phu Long's branded vegetables are trusted by consumers both within and outside the district, and various types of green vegetables are even sold in supermarkets throughout the province. Most farmers have invested in sprinkler irrigation systems instead of the traditional pipe irrigation methods to save water and labor. The entire town currently has about 50 hectares of vegetables supplying wholesale markets in the district and Phan Thiet City.
All the vegetable gardens use an automatic sprinkler irrigation system.
The vegetable farming area currently maintains and develops three vegetable farming groups, with farmers all aiming for safe vegetable cultivation to preserve the brand. Among them, the Phu Truong Vegetable Group has been certified VietGAP-certified for many years, with 21 members cultivating 7 hectares of vegetables. Members of the group encourage each other to strictly adhere to VietGAP production processes, from regular record-keeping to safety regulations regarding pesticide use and harvest quarantine periods. Mr. Tran Vo Huynh Tin – a member of the Phu Truong VietGAP vegetable group – shared: “This year, in addition to growing vegetables, I planted late-season, short-term cauliflower for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year), which yielded much higher economic returns than the main season.” However, according to Mr. Tin, successful cultivation is difficult because cauliflower is a crop that is highly susceptible to pests and diseases. Mr. Tin maintains safe farming practices, prioritizing the use of biological products and only using pesticides in cases of high pest and disease density, while strictly adhering to the quarantine period for each pesticide as instructed on the label. Thanks to this, he is one of the few farmers who have successfully grown cauliflower for many years. This spring, his thriving cauliflower garden promises to bring a considerable income to his family.
The atmosphere in the vegetable gardens during the last days of the year is bustling, as if the Lunar New Year is approaching. With the new spring knocking on the door, many vegetable farmers are hoping for a warmer New Year celebration thanks to their vegetable plots.
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