Developing craft villages growing flowers, ornamental plants, and fruit trees associated with agricultural tourism in Dong Hung district is considered a new direction, bringing dual benefits to both the tourism and agricultural sectors. This model contributes to the development of a green, sustainable economy while increasing income, improving the lives of farmers, and building advanced new rural areas in localities.
Visitors can not only take pictures but also pick and enjoy Lo Giang (Dong Hung) sapodilla right in the garden.
Promote potential and strengths
Dong Hung's fertile land is enriched with alluvium and irrigated by rivers; the climate is cool, the labor force is abundant, rich in agricultural production experience, and there are many important traffic routes such as National Highway 10, National Highway 39, Thai Binh - Ha Nam Expressway running through... The district has taken advantage of that potential and strength to comprehensively develop the socio-economy, especially agricultural production, forming many quite rich crop areas, with their own unique and famous characteristics, including the specialty of sapodilla in Lo Giang commune, golden jackfruit in Ha Giang commune, rice from Giang village, Dong Tan commune, seedling, flower, ornamental plant areas in Hong Viet commune, lucky bamboo, ornamental peach in Minh Tan commune, Phu Luong commune...
When it comes to Lo Giang, people immediately think of the specialty sapodilla, not only because of its long and slender shape like a loquat but also because of its characteristic sweet, fragrant and delicious taste. According to local people, the sapodilla tree was brought back to plant by a person who went to Laos. The tree is suitable for the soil and climate, grows well, and produces sweet fruit, which has been widely multiplied. The whole commune currently grows 50 hectares of sapodilla. Sapodilla has become the main crop, the tree that brings wealth to many households here. Mr. Nguyen Van Dang, Hoang Nong village shared: My family has grown sapodilla for nearly 40 years. At first, I only planted a few trees in my garden for fruit, then seeing that I could get rich, I boldly converted nearly 1 hectare of ineffective rice cultivation to growing sapodilla. Sapodilla is easy to grow, has high yield, and is harvested from November of the previous year to the end of June of the following year, with a high and stable selling price. In particular, other crops degenerate after a few harvests, but sapodilla trees grow greener and greener the older they are. Each sapodilla crop, my family harvests several tons of fruit, after deducting expenses, the income is hundreds of millions of dong/year, the efficiency is many times higher than growing rice.
Since the 90s of the last century, farmers in Hong Viet commune have grasped market demand, taken advantage of local advantages to develop the profession of growing flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings to improve economic efficiency per unit area. Actively applying science and technology to production such as building net house systems, automatic irrigation systems, etc., expanding the area, growing many varieties to improve quality and increase income. Mr. Tran Huy Tuong, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: The commune has propagated, mobilized, and encouraged people to renovate mixed gardens, convert ineffective rice growing areas to grow flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings. Up to now, the whole commune has about 150 hectares of flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings, achieving a production value of over 110 billion VND/year, and there are more and more billionaires from this profession of beautifying life. Flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings have long been the main products of Hong Viet, creating jobs and high income for growers.
Having been established in Ha Giang for over a decade, the “old” jackfruit tree is still green and produces hundreds of fruits every year. Scientists have preserved the precious genetic resources of the “old” jackfruit tree, the first jackfruit trees, and propagated them to provide to people throughout the province for planting. Mr. Chu Van Thinh, Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, shared: Ha Giang people have experience and high techniques in caring for this specialty tree, so the tree produces many large, high-quality fruits. Currently, the whole commune grows about 50 hectares of “old” jackfruit, harvesting over 1,000 tons of fruit each year.
Experience visiting jackfruit garden in Ha Giang commune.
To combine agriculture with rural tourism
Mr. Vuong Duc Hang, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, said: Dong Hung currently has nearly 1,250 hectares of fruit trees, flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings of all kinds. With the determination to develop a comprehensive and sustainable agricultural economy, the district has selected a number of products with the potential to develop into local specialty products; implementing a model to increase the production value of flowers, ornamental plants, and perennial plants in Hong Viet, sapodilla in Lo Giang, and golden jackfruit in Ha Giang to develop agriculture associated with tourism. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has coordinated to organize training for 3 communes to implement models on agricultural economic development according to value chains and rural tourism development. The district also supports communes to establish specialized cooperatives to expand the area, improve quality, and increase income for growers. Communes are gradually forming production areas according to the value chain, people are shifting from production thinking to economic thinking, producing according to VietGAP process, actively applying scientific and technological advances to cultivation, creating trees and fruits with beautiful designs, improving quality, ensuring food safety. In particular, Lo Giang sapodilla has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, reaching an output of about 800 tons/year, reaching 550 million VND/ha. Ha Giang Golden Jackfruit Conservation and Development Cooperative has invested in modern machinery to process into soft jackfruit products, purchasing and consuming tens of tons of jackfruit each year, planting tens of thousands of jackfruit seedlings to supply the market. The Cooperative has also completed its website, is building its brand and trademark, striving to achieve OCOP products. Recently, the Cooperative has welcomed a number of delegations to visit and experience.
Doan Vinh Ky, Thai Binh city shared: In the summer, my friends and I went to my maternal hometown in Ha Giang to visit a jackfruit garden. The garden owner showed us how to choose ripe, delicious jackfruit, experienced the jackfruit processing process, and relaxed by pedaling on the river to see the jackfruit gardens full of fruit on the banks. It was very interesting. I hope Ha Giang can develop an eco-tourism tour with more products for everyone to experience.
Tourists visit a model of flower garden, ornamental plants, and seedlings associated with rural tourism in Hong Viet commune (Dong Hung).
Many farmers in Hong Viet commune have built their garden houses according to the homestay model associated with rural tourism development, initially attracting visitors. Among them is the garden house of over 2 hectares of Mr. Tran Van Hung. Coming here, we and the group of visitors were attracted by the green color of thousands of trees of all kinds, hundreds of flowers in full bloom to welcome. Unable to resist the beauty of the garden house, everyone competed to livestream and take souvenir photos. Mr. Hung said: Since 2017, I have invested billions of VND to build a garden house with about 1 million trees of all kinds. I not only sell trees directly but also sell on the website, zalo, facebook, so the number of customers has increased significantly in both the North and the Central regions. On average, each year I earn 2 - 2.5 billion VND, creating jobs for 10 workers with an income of 6 - 10 million VND/person/month. I have traveled to many places to learn how to build a garden house combined with eco-tourism. When participating in the training course on agricultural economic development according to the value chain and rural tourism development, I gained a lot of useful knowledge, was motivated and determined to implement this model in my garden. I will continue to plan the garden systematically, with separate areas for flowers, ornamental plants, and seedlings to create a beautiful landscape that attracts visitors.
According to Mr. La Quy Thang, Head of the District's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: To link agriculture with rural tourism, in the coming time, Dong Hung will focus on promoting propaganda to raise people's awareness of fully exploiting the available advantages of the locality to effectively develop the rural economy in the direction of multi-value integration; strengthen training to improve comprehensive qualifications in the fields of production, business, and organizing production according to the value chain. Apply advanced science and technology to production in the direction of biosafety, chain production, building brands, product labels and traceability of products. Exploit the advantages of commercial forms in production, promotion and consumption of products, especially e-commerce. Mobilize resources to invest in a synchronous system of civilized infrastructure works to serve production development and the needs of tourists; diversify models and attractive service facilities for tourists. Build rural agricultural tours associated with destinations that are famous cultural institutions such as Khuoc village's cheo, water puppetry in Nguyen Xa, Dong Cac, spear and flag dance in Dong Tan, clay firecracker competitions and traditional festivals.
Thu Hien
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