Artichoke farm that harvests leaves.

Artichoke, a plant famous in the highlands and a traditional medicinal herb, is being cultivated by farmers in Da Lat and surrounding areas. In a remote region, an artichoke farm is focusing on cultivating fresh leaves.

Artichokes thrive in the soil of Phuc Tho, Lam Ha.

ARTICHOKE TAKES ROOT IN NEW SOIL

“Growing artichokes isn't just about harvesting the flowers for the market; it's also about harvesting a special agricultural product: the leaves. It wasn't until I personally grew and harvested the leaves that I truly learned about this very special plant,” shared Mr. Dao Quang Binh, a farmer from Phuc Tan village, Phuc Tho commune, Lam Ha district. He recently harvested his first crop of artichoke leaves, yielding 60 tons.

“Artichoke is a very special plant; you can harvest everything from its leaves and flowers to its stems and roots. The plant's growth cycle is over a year, but farmers can harvest it from the first three months. For example, my family has been growing it for over three months and is already preparing for the second harvest of leaves,” Mr. Binh informed. According to Mr. Binh, Phuc Tho is a land known for coffee, macadamia nuts, and many other crops. While no farmers in Phuc Tho had previously cultivated artichokes, after receiving a contract to grow artichokes for leaves and assessing the ecological conditions of Phuc Tan, he decided to pursue this direction.

“With an area of ​​10 hectares, I imported artichoke seeds from the United States. The seeds were sent to the nursery, and seedlings about 12-15 cm tall were produced. I learned artichoke cultivation techniques and received advice from an agricultural company. Artichokes are planted on 1-meter wide beds, with an irrigation system running along the beds and covered with plastic sheeting to prevent weeds. When the plants were 3 months old, my family harvested the first batch of leaves, yielding 60 tons, showing that artichokes are suitable for the soil in Phuc Tan,” Mr. Dao Quang Binh assessed. “The most important thing in growing artichokes is to thoroughly prepare the soil. Before planting, the land must be plowed, left to dry, and treated with lime and probiotics. Thorough treatment helps create a clean soil environment, prevents root diseases, and provides sufficient nutrients for plant growth. Artichokes thrive on organic fertilizer; applying organic fertilizer regularly helps the plants root quickly, grow tall, have large leaves, and be full of nutrients,” Mr. Dao Quang Binh shared his experience.

CONTRACT FARMING

"No matter what crop you grow, farmers must pay attention to the market for their products, especially new crop varieties. For example, my family's artichoke farm grows under contract with Ngoc Duy Tea Company and a few other businesses. Therefore, the market for our products is guaranteed, giving farmers peace of mind," Mr. Dao Quang Binh assessed.

Mr. Binh stated that artichoke leaves are a very unique product. “According to the requirements of the purchasing company, we only select fresh leaves with large, non-yellowed stems. After harvesting, the company picks them up on the same day. The company also stated that the leaves must be processed within 24 hours of harvesting to preserve the medicinal properties and nutrients in the artichoke. Therefore, growing artichokes for medicinal purposes requires a strict contract with the company to ensure both market access and quality,” Mr. Binh assessed.

According to Mr. Binh, each harvest yields approximately 3-4 leaves per kilogram. Each artichoke plant produces 1 kg per harvest. With good care, farmers can harvest every 15-17 days for 8-12 months. With prices announced in advance by the company, this provides a stable income for farmers. “We planted 10 hectares, have already harvested, and have found that the soil in Phuc Tan is suitable for artichokes. The company has tested the farm's leaves for various indicators and assessed the quality of the artichokes from Phuc Tan as very good. Therefore, in the near future, our family will expand the area to 30 hectares to supply businesses producing tea as well as medicinal products from artichokes,” Mr. Dao Quang Binh shared about the future of this crop.

Besides growing and supplying artichoke leaves, Mr. Binh plans to open an artichoke processing factory right in the Phuc Tho area to ensure the freshness and highest quality of the medicinal herb. According to him, when the Phuc Tho area reaches sufficient acreage, he will build the artichoke processing factory in the middle of the raw material area.

Mr. Dao Van Sang, former Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Phuc Tho commune, Lam Ha district, assessed that previously, there were no farmers growing artichokes in Phuc Tho. Mr. Dao Quang Binh's family model is the first of its kind and has shown clear effectiveness. Mr. Dao Quang Binh is also planning to expand the area for growing artichokes and is ready to cooperate with farmers in the region. This is also an opportunity for farmers in remote areas to become familiar with this specialty crop and expand the growing space for artichokes, a famous crop of the Lam Vien plateau.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/trang-trai-atiso-lay-la-381234.html