Growing watermelon in the wilderness for high income

From a low-yield crop field, Mr. Nguyen Van Anh and his wife in Trung Duc village, Ky Tan commune (Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh) renovated and built a watermelon model for high income.

This vast melon field was previously abandoned due to inefficient production.

Con field of Trung Duc village, Ky Van commune (7 ha) is a high and dry land all year round. This used to be a crop growing area but due to low efficiency, it gradually became a wasteland.

Realizing that this land could be improved to grow watermelon, in 2022, Mr. Nguyen Van Anh and his wife in Trung Duc village, Ky Tan commune (Ky Anh district) boldly borrowed land, invested in planting 3 sao of watermelon and got good results.

With that result, he and his wife rented the land to invest in big business with the form of annual land payment (4 million VND/ha). Immediately after having the land lease contract, Mr. Anh immediately started planning to renovate the land, install irrigation and drainage systems, prepare the land, choose seeds...

To ensure production progress requirements, the family invested in two multi-function plows, both for land preparation and for transporting products from the fields to the warehouse.

Growing watermelon in the wilderness for high income

The new melon varieties used by Mr. Anh produce large, even fruit with bright red flesh, few seeds, thin skin and a rich sweet taste.

This year, Mr. Anh planted melons from February 2023, on the entire area of 7 hectares, with 2 high-quality melon varieties: Apolo and super fruit variety Fancy 555. To regularly have products for sale, Mr. Anh divided the land into 2 plots and rotated production.

“The melon plants grow and develop very quickly on this land. Taking care of them is quite simple. In addition to planting on schedule and fertilizing adequately, especially with a lot of manure, you must ensure that the soil is always moist with enough water…”, Mr. Anh shared.

Growing watermelon in the wilderness for high income

Apolo melon and Fancy 555 super fruit varieties have a growth and development time of less than 90 days.

Thanks to the selection of good seeds and proper care, the melons not only produce large, even fruit, but also have bright red flesh, few seeds, thin skin, and a rich sweet taste; they are popular with consumers.

Currently, the products have been purchased by traders inside and outside the province at the field. On average, Anh’s family sells about 20 tons of melons per day.

“The Apolo melon and Fancy 555 super fruit varieties have a relatively short growth and development period. After only nearly 3 months from planting, they were harvested with a yield of 20 - 25 tons/ha. With an import price of 8,000 VND/kg and a retail price of 10,000 VND/kg, after deducting all expenses, each hectare brings in an income of over 100 million VND, much higher than growing other crops before,” said Ms. To Khanh Van - wife of Mr. Nguyen Van Anh.

Growing watermelon in the wilderness for high income

On average, Anh's family harvests about 20 tons of melons per day; the products are purchased by traders at the field.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duong - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Ky Tan commune said: "The results of Mr. Nguyen Van Anh's watermelon production model have confirmed that watermelon is very suitable for the soil and climate in the area.

This plant species not only helps to eliminate the state of fallow land, but also brings high economic benefits to the family, creating jobs for nearly ten regular workers and many seasonal workers. Currently, Ky Tan has a lot of high and dry land, which is ineffective for traditional crops. In the coming time, the Commune Farmers' Association will advise the Party Committee and the government to convert and issue policies to encourage the production of watermelon and other suitable dry crops. Thereby, taking full advantage of and promoting the potential of the land, increasing the value of agricultural production in the area.

Vu Huyen

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