Boldly change crops, livestock and farming methods
Currently, the farming work of the old farmer Nguyen Vinh and his wife is not as much or as heavy as before. Partly, the two of them have reached the threshold of "ancient and modern", the main labor role is taken over by their 22-year-old son, partly, thanks to their previous bold investment and application of scientific and technological advances in production, which has helped him "have machines to help his hands and feet".
According to Mr. Vinh, during his entire life spent with the garden and the hoe, 2010 was the most memorable time when he boldly eliminated the mixed garden, bean field, eggplant beds, and devoted all his efforts and money to investing in 1 hectare of pomelo (160 trees), 0.5 hectare of bamboo, more than 2.5 hectare of acacia and raised free-range chickens under the pomelo canopy.
When asked about pomelos, he said that before, many people in Duong Hoa, including me, still grew them in the traditional way and mainly "relyed on the weather". By 2017, the intense heat and prolonged drought had dried up the irrigation water source in the Duong Hoa hills, forcing many pomelo growers to contact the Dak Lak workers to drill wells to get water to irrigate their plants.
“Due to the terrain, the drilling team encountered sand all the time, so they had to change to different drilling locations, so they stayed at my house for quite a while. During their stay, they introduced the overhead sprinkler system, which is usually used to water coffee plants. From the description, I saw that it was highly feasible to apply to watering pomelos, so I agreed to buy a set,” Mr. Vinh recalled.
The traditional way of watering is to drill underground wells, dig tanks, and use pumps to pump water from the well to the tank, then use pumps to pull pipes to irrigate each pomelo tree. This method of watering is very laborious and not very effective. “I have to water every two days, pulling pipes to about 100 pomelo trees makes my limbs tired,” said Mr. Vinh.
But after buying a sprinkler and improving some details, such as: a support arm, a water supply system with a mechanical lock to prioritize watering each area, not focusing on watering at once, Mr. Vinh only needs to sit in the house, turn on the power switch and the sprinkler can carry water to the surrounding areas. And analysis from agricultural experts, the same amount of water but when watering on the leaves will be more effective than watering at the roots, especially during the stage when pomelos bloom and bear fruit.
“The cost of digging a well, digging a tarpaulin-lined tank, investing in two pumps, a water pipe system, etc. is about 70 million VND. This is a fairly large amount of money, but it is a one-time investment that can be used for a long time, saving labor and improving crop efficiency. After Mr. Vinh, many households growing pomelos in Buong Tam village have applied this new irrigation model, helping to significantly increase the productivity, quality, and size of pomelos, contributing significantly to the awards that Duong Hoa pomelos have won at the Hue pomelo competitions,” said Mr. Nguyen Cuu Tuan - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Duong Hoa commune.
In addition to the pomelo garden that brings in over 100 million VND/year after deducting all expenses, when it comes to harvesting, the bamboo and acacia areas also bring in nearly 100 million VND/year for Mr. Vinh's family. Combined with the income from the free-range chicken model of 20-30 million VND/year, not only does it help the family's economy grow, Mr. Vinh also helps create jobs for more than 10 local workers, both regular and seasonal, with an income of over 6 million VND/month.
Also from boldly investing, applying scientific and technological advances, creating many effective agricultural production models, currently, not only known as one of the typical examples of the movement of good farmers and businessmen, but also being repeatedly commended by the locality and province. In 2022, Mr. Vinh was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister.
For the community
In fact, many people have “known” Mr. Vinh since 2004 - the time when he voluntarily donated 9,000 square meters of production land to serve the construction of the Duong Hoa War Monument (Duong Hoa commune).
“As the Chairman of the Buong Tam Parish Council, I always believe that all religions guide people to do good deeds, to contribute to society, to serve the Fatherland and homeland. Thanks to the leadership of the Party and the State, thanks to the heroic sacrifices of the martyrs, we have the life we have today. Therefore, donating land to build a project to commemorate the merits of previous generations who have fallen is the right thing to do,” Mr. Vinh shared.
After donating 9,000 m2 of land, in 2010, the entire Huong Thuy town started to build a new rural area. To contribute to the locality in completing the national goal, Mr. Vinh donated land twice more with a total area of 3,000 m2 to build inter-village roads and a village community house.
“Many people also ask why I donated so much, because I have donated 9,000 square meters before. Personally, I think that when it comes to things that are beneficial to the community and society, those who have the means should do their best. Besides, donating land to build public works will benefit me and my children, so there is nothing to lose,” Vinh shared.
“During the process of building new rural areas in Duong Hoa commune, Mr. Nguyen Vinh was a pioneer in donating land to build public works to serve the community. Since then, this act has spread and received support from many people in the commune. For example, the family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Gai (Thanh Van village) donated land to build a kindergarten, a medical station, and a playground for children; the land fund of the Buong Tam Parish Council donated land to build concrete roads…”, Mr. Le Van Thuc - Chairman of the People's Committee of Duong Hoa commune informed.
“In addition to being a pioneer in responding to movements and volunteer activities launched by the locality, Mr. Nguyen Vinh is also an important factor, a glue to help Duong Hoa people in general and Buong Tam parishioners in particular actively participate in the movement “All people protect national security”, the “Green Sunday” project…, at the same time, always strictly comply with the Party’s guidelines and policies, the State’s laws, thereby continuing to promote the strength of the great national unity bloc in the community”, Mr. Le Manh - Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Huong Thuy Town acknowledged.
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