High economic efficiency from the ribbed gourd cultivation model.

Despite not requiring significant investment in seeds, fertilizers, or labor, ribbed gourd plants still achieve high yields and production. Recently, the ribbed gourd cultivation model in Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district, has brought considerable income to the local people.

The model of growing ribbed gourds in Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district, brings a considerable income to the people - Photo: NP

At this time, like many other households in Dong Luat village, Vinh Thai commune, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy's family is busy harvesting ribbed gourds in their garden. This year, her family planted a total of 2.5 acres of ribbed gourds. Thanks to good care, the ribbed gourd crop is thriving, with beautiful green fruits and high yields.

Speaking with reporters, Ms. Thuy said that compared to other crops, ribbed gourds are less susceptible to pests and diseases. If they are stung by bees, only biological pesticides are used instead of chemical insecticides, making them very safe. Not only are they high-yielding, but ribbed gourds are also delicious and sweet, making them easy to sell. “Early season ribbed gourds cost around 22,000 VND/kg, but now they have dropped to 18,000 - 20,000 VND/kg.”

"With simple cultivation techniques and minimal care requirements, the ribbed gourd farming model is bringing high economic efficiency to my family and other gourd growers in the village. In addition, I also intercrop it with other vegetables to diversify crops and increase family income," Ms. Thuy shared.

Similarly, since the ribbed gourd plants started yielding fruit, around 2 PM each day, Ms. Tran Thi Hanh and her husband, from Dong Luat village, Vinh Thai commune, have harvested about 100 kg of gourds, then carefully arranged them on their vehicle to transport and deliver to markets early the next morning.

Given the economic benefits of ribbed gourds in previous years, this year, Ms. Hanh's family decided to expand the area for growing ribbed gourds to a total of 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares). To facilitate harvesting, instead of planting all at once, she spaced the gourd fields out by 10-15 days.

With nearly 20 years of experience in growing ribbed gourds, Ms. Hanh said that this is a short-term crop suitable for sandy soil. Although it doesn't require much care, it grows well and yields high-quality produce. However, to prevent the gourds from dying, it's important to prepare the soil by creating raised beds with good drainage to prevent waterlogging. When the gourds reach 20-30 cm in height, buy netting and stakes to build a trellis for them to climb.

“Ribbed gourds are very quick to harvest; from planting to fruiting takes only about 55-60 days. The harvesting period lasts 30-35 days and can be longer if the plants are well cared for. Currently, the gourd garden brings my family an income of 1.5 million to 1.7 million VND per day,” Ms. Hanh shared.

According to calculations, if prices are favorable, this year's ribbed gourd crop will bring the couple over 70 million VND. It is known that after each ribbed gourd harvest, Ms. Hanh proactively stores the seeds to prepare for the next season. However, she is always willing to share her seeds and effective gourd cultivation experience with families who need them.

This has partly contributed to the increasing adoption of the ribbed gourd farming model in Dong Luat village in particular and Vinh Thai commune in general, contributing to increased economic efficiency per unit area.

Ribbed gourd has many medicinal uses such as cooling the body, detoxifying, treating sinusitis and rhinitis...; and it is also a food that can be processed into many delicious dishes that have been familiar in Vietnamese meals for generations, so it is always popular in the market.

According to Dong Luat village head Ho Sy Duong, the entire village currently has about 10 households growing ribbed gourds, with each household cultivating 2-5 sao (approximately 0.25 hectares). "The cultivation technique is simple, the initial costs are low, but it yields high productivity, so the ribbed gourd farming model is providing the villagers with a relatively stable income," Mr. Duong affirmed.

According to Nguyen Huu Thanh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thai commune, statistics show that the entire commune has over 2 hectares of ridged gourd cultivation. In recent times, along with other crops such as taro, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other similar plants, ridged gourds have been chosen by some households and have yielded high economic returns.

In the coming time, the Farmers' Association of Vinh Thai commune will continue to encourage farmers to replicate the ribbed gourd model; at the same time, help farmers choose new, suitable production models, contributing to the transformation of the local crop structure, increasing income, and stabilizing people's lives.

Southern

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/hieu-qua-kinh-te-cao-tu-mo-hinh-trong-muop-khia/184428.htm