Billion-dollar melon and grape garden of an engineer passionate about clean agriculture

Lu Van Anh (born in 1996) was born and raised in the mountainous district of Quy Chau, Nghe An province. After graduating from the Agricultural Extension program at Vinh University, the engineer continued his studies in Israel with the dream of gaining experience to return to his homeland and start a business.

After finishing his studies abroad in 2022, he chose Ha Tinh province as a place to learn about growing cantaloupe before returning home to start his own business . However, realizing that the weather conditions in his hometown were unsuitable for growing cantaloupe, he decided to stay in Ha Tinh and become a member of the Thach Ha Vegetable and Fruit Cooperative. He then leased land to grow vegetables and fruits in Thach Ha ward, Ha Tinh city .

Currently, he and the members of the cooperative rent a plot of land about 1 hectare in size to grow melons and peony grapes. To implement the model, he and the group of cooperative members built 6 greenhouses for growing melons and 1 greenhouse for growing peony grapes.

Each year, his orchard yields two crops of cantaloupe with 2,500 plants, starting from early March to September; and one crop of grapes with 300 plants from early February to the end of June.

According to statistics, the annual yield of cantaloupe reaches approximately 20 tons, with a selling price ranging from 35,000 to 40,000 VND/kg. The cantaloupe farming model generates an income of about 700-800 million VND per year.

As for the peony grape variety, it has been planted for three years now and is also developing well, yielding high income.

Cantaloupes in Mr. Lu Van Anh's garden are currently being harvested. Because they are grown organically , they are trusted and chosen by customers, and are sold as soon as they are harvested.

"On the barren land , after establishing a model for growing cantaloupe and grapes, we have achieved great success. Despite facing many setbacks due to weather and a lack of experience, thanks to the application of basic techniques, all the cantaloupe and grape crops have been successful," shared Mr. Lu Van Anh.

According to leaders of Thach Ha ward, Ha Tinh city, the cooperative model for vegetables and fruits in Thach Ha ward is developing very well. In particular, the grape and cantaloupe cultivation model of Mr. Lu Van Anh is a sustainable model that yields high profits. In addition, the model is currently introducing a new crop, grapes, for trial cultivation, and the initial results are positive. If grape cultivation develops well in the future, proposals will be made to propagate the plants, transfer production processes, and expand cultivation to other households.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vuon-dua-nho-bac-ti-cua-chang-ky-su-dam-me-lam-nong-nghiep-sach-post1754143.tpo