Stable income from growing water spinach

After harvesting, Mr. Binh will separate the water spinach into bunches.

Having been growing water mimosa for more than 23 years, Mr. Truong Gia Binh (residing in Thanh An hamlet) said that in the past, his family lived by growing rice, but the results were not as expected, so he decided to switch to growing water mimosa. “Water mimosa is easy to grow, requires little care, and has less price risk than growing rice. Growers must master the technical process, especially the selection of seeds, pest control, and the timing of fertilization to ensure safety and not affect the health of consumers,” said Mr. Binh.

According to Mr. Binh, the way to grow water spinach is quite simple. Before planting, people need to remove lime and alum to treat pathogens. When newly planted, the water level should be kept at about 50cm to create a favorable environment for the vegetable to grow, the deeper the water, the better the vegetable. Because the growth rate is very fast, each clump of vegetables should keep 2 healthy, pest-free shoots, 20 - 25cm long and about 1m apart. After 7 days of planting, the vegetables will grow and can be harvested.

On average, for 1,000m2 of land to grow water mimosa, Mr. Binh only spends about 3 million VND in capital. Water mimosa is harvested daily and is much more effective than rice. Each crop of water mimosa can be harvested for 4-6 months if planted and cared for properly. After each harvest, continue to fertilize to help the plant recover and grow new branches and shoots. On the 5,000m2 area of water mimosa, Mr. Binh divides it into many areas to cut in rotation every day, on average cutting more than 100-150kg/day, because traders come to the field to buy, so he does not have to worry about output. The price of water mimosa is from 10,000-15,000 VND/kg, after deducting all expenses, Mr. Binh's family earns 1-1.5 million VND/day.

Mr. Binh's water spinach pond provides a stable income.

Boldly converting 3,000m2 of rice fields to grow water mimosa, Mr. Cong Bang (residing in Thanh An hamlet) shared that before planting vegetables, he cleared the land, disinfected it to minimize pathogens, then brought in water to plant seeds. After about 7 days of planting, vegetables can be harvested, each harvest is 7-10 days apart. During the care and harvest process, if the density is low, he will cut off the tops and replant to ensure density to achieve the highest yield.

After several crops of water mimosa, he has accumulated experience. “Growing water mimosa requires low investment costs, mainly labor and care, but the income is many times higher than growing rice. On average, my family harvests about 1 ton of water mimosa per month,” said Mr. Bang.

The Commune Farmers' Association regularly visits and provides technical support to households growing water mimosa.

Mr. Duong Hoang Chau - Vice Chairman of the Farmers' Association of An Binh Commune said that the model of growing water mimosa converted from ineffective rice land of Mr. Binh's family has become a typical model to be replicated locally. Currently, in the commune, there are 15 households growing water mimosa with an area of 5 hectares.

Growing water mimosa not only improves the household economy but also creates jobs for many local workers. In recent times, the Commune Farmers' Association has coordinated with the Agricultural Extension Station and the District Plant Protection Station to provide support on cultivation techniques, the use of pesticides, and how to care for and prevent diseases on crops so that households can clearly understand and grasp basic techniques and apply them to production to bring high efficiency.

Dao Nhu

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