Effectiveness of cucumber growing model on rice fields

Previously, during the off-season, the fields in Ban Ho commune were abandoned, but now things are different. The fields in La Ve and Ban Den villages are now covered in green cucumber fields. In just 1-2 weeks, the second crop of cucumbers will bear fruit and will be ready for harvest shortly after that.

The family of Mr. Lu A Chuyen in La Ve village is one of the households participating in growing cucumbers on a large scale in the commune, with 900 ^m2 . For more than a month now, every day Mr. Chuyen has been "sticking" to the field to take care of the cucumbers to ensure the fruit is the right size and meets the standards. Mr. Chuyen's family is in a difficult situation, with income mainly depending on rice cultivation and livestock farming. Previously, his family only grew one summer-autumn rice crop per year, with an average income of 15 million VND. After harvesting the summer-autumn crop, he often left the land empty or used it as a place to graze buffaloes and cows. This year, encouraged by the Commune Farmers' Association, his family decided to participate in the model of growing cucumbers on a large scale. Thanks to applying the correct techniques instructed by the Commune Farmers' Association officials, in the first crop, his family harvested more than 3 tons of cucumbers, earning 20 million VND. From that result, at the beginning of this year, he boldly invested in seeds to grow another crop before entering the new rice crop.

Mr. Chuyen confided: This cucumber crop will be more productive than the previous one because I have mastered the care process. The cucumbers are now starting to bear fruit. If all goes well, I will harvest about 10 tons of cucumbers this season.

Similarly, Ms. Vang Thi Luyen's family in La Ve village is also considered poor. According to Ms. Luyen, her family previously only grew rice for their own needs and did not sell it, so they had no income. This year, seeing other households in the village growing cucumbers, she also registered to participate in the hope of earning a high income from this new crop. Thanks to being trained in planting techniques, care, and proper irrigation, her family's 500 m2 of cucumbers have grown well. Since the beginning of the season, her family has harvested more than 2.5 tons of melons, selling them for about 5,500 VND/kg, earning more than 13 million VND...

Ban Ho Commune has more than 20 poor and near-poor households participating in the model of growing cucumbers in rice fields, with a scale of 4 hectares/crop. Households are trained in planting, care, pest control and harvesting techniques; are supported with funds to buy seeds, materials, fertilizers, and pesticides; are supported in monitoring growth and are instructed in care and harvesting.

After nearly 7 months of implementation, the model of growing cucumbers in rice fields has shown results. According to statistics from the Sa Pa Farmers' Association, in the first crop, households harvested 23 times, with an output of 29.2 tons of fruit, earning more than 160 million VND. Some households that took proper care of the crops had very high incomes. Meanwhile, the second crop is showing positive signs, with an expected output 3 times higher than the first crop.

Assessing the effectiveness of the model, Mr. Nguyen Viet Anh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Sa Pa town, said: Previously, local people did not have the habit of increasing crop production, so after harvesting the winter-spring rice, the land was often abandoned, leading to dry fields, poor soil, and new crop preparation was very laborious. With the attention and direction of the Party Committee, the government, the strong participation of the Fatherland Front and the commune's unions, the model of growing cucumbers to increase crop on rice fields has been implemented in Ban Ho commune and brought about good results.

Although the new form of crop increase is new and many households are still confused, the model has contributed to creating jobs and increasing farmers' livelihoods during the off-season; encouraging farmers to dare to think, dare to do and overcome difficulties; enhancing the sense of responsibility of farming households and cooperatives in linking production and product consumption... The implementation of the model has also initially formed and maintained the activities of professional farmers' associations for growing commercial vegetables in lowland communes.