Development of safe vegetable production
Quynh Minh Commune, Quynh Luu District has 163 hectares of clean vegetables, with many types of vegetables, tubers, and fruits of high economic value such as green onions, mustard greens, tomatoes, and cabbage, with an annual output of more than 9,000 tons.
With 3 sao of land for growing vegetables, Mrs. Phan Thi Nga's family in Quynh Minh commune rotates crops to grow all kinds of vegetables from tomatoes, green onions, and mustard greens. For several years now, she has switched to growing vegetables according to VietGAP standards.
“We were able to participate in training and learn about clean vegetable growing techniques organized by the Commune Farmers’ Association. Realizing the needs of consumers, and also to protect the health of my own family, I no longer use pesticides based on experience or following the trend of seeing others spraying like before, but produce according to the learned process. Although the care is more elaborate and must ensure the correct techniques, thanks to the specific training and instructions, it is not difficult. The biggest benefit is that the spraying of pesticides on vegetables has been significantly reduced,” said Ms. Phan Thi Nga.
Quynh Luu district has 640 hectares of specialized vegetable cultivation, mainly concentrated in the coastal communes such as Quynh Minh, Quynh Luong, Quynh Bang, with an area of nearly 450 hectares. Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang - Head of the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: Quynh Luu has many favorable conditions to develop and increase the value of vegetable production. People are experienced, quickly absorb advanced farming techniques, suitable soil quality, and a large number of traders. Promoting these strengths, in recent years, the area of specialized vegetable production in the area has been increasingly expanded, especially the area of vegetable production according to VietGAP standards.
“We have coordinated with the authorities to support people in building specialized clean vegetable growing areas according to VietGAP standards, greenhouses for growing high-quality vegetables, tubers and fruits, aiming to build OCOP products that meet standards; at the same time, linking and creating a stable product consumption chain for people. Up to now, the area of VietGAP vegetables in the area has reached 30 hectares, the area of greenhouses for producing high-quality vegetables, tubers and fruits is over 25,000m2 . This is the direction that the district will focus on developing in the coming time, helping to increase the value and income of farmers, building the Quynh Luu clean vegetable brand; at the same time, contributing to minimizing the harmful effects of indiscriminate and improper use of pesticides on vegetable areas”, said Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, the process of applying clean vegetable production according to VietGAP standards has many improvements compared to conventional vegetable production methods, especially in the use of pesticides.
People need to practice VietGAP to minimize environmental and health risks. Authorities at all levels need to strengthen inspection, supervision and monitoring of business activities and distribution of plant protection drugs and create conditions for the supply of environmentally friendly products and public health safety.
Effective collection of plant protection waste
With a large and concentrated vegetable growing area, each crop season, the amount of waste from fertilizer and pesticide packaging discharged into the fields in Quynh Luu district is also very large.
Thanks to the efforts of the locality and especially the support from the Program "Building a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and bottles of plant protection drugs after use in the fields, and educating people about the harmful effects of plant protection drug residues on humans and the community", chaired by the provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, Quynh Luu district has gradually closed the system of plant protection waste containers in the vegetable growing communes of the district.
In 2023, this locality will be supported to install 934 tanks to collect pesticide waste on rice and vegetable production areas in 12 communes including: An Hoa, Quynh Giang, Quynh Hoa, Quynh Hong, Quynh Hung, Quynh Nghia, Quynh Ngoc, Quynh Thach, Quynh Tho, Quynh Thuan, Quynh Van and Quynh Yen. Previously, the locality was only equipped with 1,595 tanks, lacking 2,876 tanks to meet the requirements.
“Despite many difficulties, the provision of tanks in vegetable production areas is of great concern. In the key vegetable growing communes of the district, tanks have basically been provided, such as Ngoc Son commune with 128 tanks, Quynh Minh commune with 100 tanks, Tan Son commune with 100 tanks, Quynh Bang commune with 60 tanks, Quynh Luong commune with 30 tanks...”, Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang - Head of the District's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shared.
Along with efforts to equip tanks, Quynh Luu district also focuses on promoting propaganda to raise people's awareness and responsibility in collecting and treating packaging, bottles as well as the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community. The tank system installed in the fields has gradually changed the habit of littering on the banks of fields and ditches of some people. Mr. Nguyen Van Hai in Hamlet 8, Quynh Minh Commune said: "My family's vegetable garden is not too far from the garbage tank. Before, people often conveniently left used packaging on the banks of the fields, but now they have formed the habit of collecting and putting it in the tank. The tank is also located in the fields, far from residential areas and has a lid, so it does not affect the living environment of the people".
Since being equipped with tanks, along the roads, canals and vacant lots, there has been almost no more littering of pesticide waste. This change helps ensure better environmental hygiene, reducing the impact of pesticide residues on cultivated land, water sources and agricultural products...
According to research by the Institute of Agricultural Environment (Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences), every year, thousands of tons of packaging and bottles of pesticides used by people are thrown indiscriminately into the fields. This is a potential risk to food safety and hygiene, affecting human and community health; in the long term, pesticides accumulate in the soil, follow the water source to accumulate in crops, directly affecting consumers, and is one of the causes of serious diseases in today's society.
Source
Comment (0)