A "vegetable basket" on rocky land.

Việt Nam•19/01/2024

Turn over rocks to grow clean vegetables.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon, I had the opportunity to visit the Si Pa Phin High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative in Si Pa Phin commune (Nam Po district). This is the first and only model in this border district that applies modern scientific and technical technology in growing and caring for "clean" vegetables and fruits on a scale of nearly 30 hectares.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Khai, Deputy Director of the Si Pa Phin High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative, immediately took me on his Wave motorbike, navigating the steep, winding slope, many sections of which had been paved with concrete, wide and smooth, gleaming in the early morning sun. From the hilltop, amidst the swirling sea of clouds, the lush, vibrant green of rows of kohlrabi, cabbage, water spinach, tomatoes, green squash, pumpkins, etc., appeared in neat, orderly rows, arranged scientifically . Skilled workers busily harvested fruits, cut vegetables, watered, and tilled the soil... the atmosphere was bustling, and everyone was diligent and proficient in their work.

From a barren, rocky land where nothing could survive except weeds and杂草 (miscellaneous plants), it now teems with life amidst the sun-drenched, windswept mountains. Pham Ngoc Khai explained: "Most of the land here has been abandoned for years due to the lack of water for cultivation. To grow vegetables, the soil must first be clean. To create fertile soil, we had to work very hard to improve it, and pump water from the streams up to the hilltops, through many stages, to ensure sufficient irrigation. Especially because it's mostly hilly land with steep slopes, leveling the ground and building infrastructure is quite costly. However, with determination to turn 'rocks into food,' and especially with the ideal climate, various vegetables and fruits thrive."

Currently, the cooperative produces more than 10 common types of vegetables and fruits on 5,000 ^m² of greenhouse land, 2 hectares of net houses (under construction), and open-air cultivation. They implement crop rotation to ensure a constant supply of products to the market. With the goal of ensuring food safety for consumers and creating the first "clean" vegetable brand in Nậm Pồ, the cooperative strictly adheres to regulations regarding watering, fertilizing, and pest and disease control. The cooperative only cultivates high-quality vegetable and fruit varieties, using organic fertilizers, manure, and composted green plant material instead of chemical fertilizers. The cooperative has also invested in an automated irrigation system divided into two sections to apply two methods: sprinkler irrigation for leafy vegetables and drip irrigation for root and fruit crops, ensuring maximum operational efficiency. "Currently, the cooperative is actively coordinating with agencies and organizations to develop procedures for caring for, preserving, and selling the produce according to regulations; and completing the procedures for organic production, thereby contributing to ensuring product quality, increasing economic value, and improving production efficiency," Mr. Khai added.

Bringing clean vegetables and fruits into schools.

In Nam Po, the poorest district in the country, the successful development and marketing of clean vegetables and fruits by the Si Pa Phin High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative has contributed to overcoming difficulties for the local education sector in bringing clean, quality-assured, and safe food into schools.

Arriving at Na Hy Ethnic Boarding Junior High School (Na Hy commune) right at lunchtime, alongside the meat dishes were plates of delicious, vibrant green vegetables and soups. Mr. Tran Hoang, the school principal, shared: Currently, the school has 268 boarding students; they are provided with three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). In addition to meat, fish, and fresh produce, to ensure a supply of fresh, delicious vegetables, the school has a contract to import vegetables and fruits from the Si Pa Phin High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative. Compared to before, when they had to import vegetables from Dien Bien district (three times a week), which had to be stored overnight and were more expensive, now they import vegetables daily, ensuring nutrition and improving the quality of meals for the students.

Mr. Ngo Xuan Chien, Head of the Education and Training Department of Nam Po District, said: “To ensure a supply of clean vegetables for school lunches, the Department and schools have been closely monitoring the quality, origin, and source of food, as well as the types and quantities. The food sources supplied to school kitchens are publicly and transparently disclosed. In addition, the Department has directed schools with boarding students to increase production and grow vegetables to improve the quality of daily meals, contributing to improved health and educational quality in the district.”

It is evident that, with the decisive involvement of the Party committees and authorities at all levels in Nậm Pồ district; especially the efforts of each member of the Si Pa Phìn High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative, barren and desolate lands have been transformed into greener areas, creating jobs for local people. This has led to the formation of concentrated production areas, providing clean vegetables and fruits for local consumption and supplying markets outside the district, particularly providing high-quality, safe green vegetables for boarding students and tourists visiting the border district of Nậm Pồ.

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