NGHE AN Taking over the ruined orange farm, Mr. Chat has persistently improved the land, cultivated organically and harvested sweet fruit.
Mr. Le Cong Chat's farm applies organic farming. Photo: Viet Khanh.
Short-term costs, long-term benefits
Inquiring about the local model of improving sloping land using sustainable farming methods, both reducing the use of pesticides and increasing economic efficiency, Mr. Tran Nguyen Hoa, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghi Loc district (Nghe An) affirmed that Nghi Van Commune General Agricultural Service Cooperative (Nghi Van Cooperative) is a bright spot.
The founder of Nghi Van Cooperative is Director Le Cong Chat, who is famous for his great success in growing oranges and grapefruits according to VietGAP standards in an organic direction.
It is even more admirable that this man approached and applied the new process at the time when the citrus fruit growing industry in Nghe An was in a period of decline. Indeed, five years ago, the citrus fruit growing industry in Nghe An began to decline rapidly. Due to continuous losses, everyone and every household accepted to give up orange trees, but Mr. Chat boldly entered the market with an investment cost many times higher.
After 5 years of persistently improving the soil and cultivating organically, Mr. Chat has achieved very satisfactory results. Photo: Viet Khanh.
Warmly pouring water to invite guests, Mr. Chat recounted the ups and downs of the milestones: “The farm has a total scale of more than 10 hectares, before me there were 3 owners, for many different reasons they had to abandon it halfway. At the beginning of 2019, I officially took over, at that time there were only a few areas left to grow oranges but basically they had been abandoned for a long time, so it was very dilapidated and desolate, even the clean vegetable growing model could not be maintained.
I myself had previously focused only on the livestock sector, my knowledge of farming was nil, so when I took over the farm, I was very hesitant and worried. Although it was difficult, I was determined to pursue it to the end. On the one hand, I hired a consultant to support me, on the other hand, I researched and learned practical experience day and night, determined to solve the difficult problem soon.
From the reality of orange trees being destroyed in famous orange growing capitals of Nghe An province such as Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, or recently Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong..., Mr. Chat concluded that, to be successful, it is impossible to apply the "quick fix" method, on the contrary, it is necessary to accept investment, to nourish and improve the soil and environment, and to build a closed-loop cycle, only then can we complement each other.
Thinking goes hand in hand with doing. After 5 years of skillfully applying organic farming processes, the Director of Nghi Van Cooperative has now accumulated extensive experience in cultivating citrus fruits.
Mr. Chat raises snakehead fish, then treats the pond wastewater to irrigate his garden. Photo: Viet Khanh.
For Mr. Chat, soil improvement does not mean having to directly impact the soil, that is a wrong view. Previously, many people "advised" him to buy tarpaulin to prevent weeds from growing, but he refused to listen, because applying this method would increase the temperature in the soil, when the grass dies, the trace elements and microelements in the soil will also die, that is not the optimal solution.
“My point of view is not to use herbicides or pesticides that greatly affect the surrounding environment. If I have to use them, I will only use high-end, branded products that have been tested and have dosages within the allowable range. I raise cows, fish and oranges at the same time, one complements the other, so it is difficult to cheat,” Director Le Cong Chat shared.
Mr. Chat enthusiastically told that the farm's location is at the source, convenient for getting water from the mountain stream, warm water in winter, cool in summer, taking advantage of that, the family invested in building several tanks to raise snakehead fish, both increasing production and effectively irrigating crops.
“The ‘3 in 1’ model has a basis. Through verification, it has been shown that the protein content in snakehead fish waste is very high, and orange trees are nourished with enough nutrients so they grow quickly and stably. Waste from cattle and fish farming is also treated and composted with microorganisms to become organic fertilizer to fertilize and water fruit trees and grass, creating green pastures that are quality food for beef cattle.
Oranges of Nghi Van Commune General Agricultural Service Cooperative are very popular in the market. Photo: Provided by the character.
That's not all, our farm also adds corn, soybeans, and wood ash to fertilize the fruit trees, a little bit of each to form this healthy orange garden. Although organic fertilizer is absorbed more slowly than chemical fertilizer, it helps the trees last longer. The organic farming process requires many steps and is more rigorous, so it costs more in the initial stages, but it will bring many long-term benefits," Mr. Chat shared.
Stick to organic, slow and steady
The investment cost for Mr. Chat's farm is about 250 million VND/ha, but you get what you pay for. The farm's oranges sell for an average price of about 40,000 VND/kg, sometimes soaring to over 60,000 VND/kg, but traders still compete to buy them like hotcakes. In recent years, his family has been steadily harvesting 60-70 tons of oranges/year, with a revenue of nearly 2.4 billion VND, after deducting expenses, the profit is about 2/3.
When asked about the secret to success, high and stable income from orange trees, Mr. Chat answered truthfully: “In terms of business, pure agricultural production in the North can only get rich by growing oranges. It sounds easy at first but it is not easy, you have to persistently apply the organic production process for many years. Everything has its price, if you do it right, you will eat it right, it is that simple.
Look, growing oranges requires a lot of steps, if you don't understand it, it will fail immediately. At first, you can spray and incubate to stimulate buds and shoots, combined with preventing pests from entering in the first months. When the orange tree flowers and bears fruit, throughout the 6 months from the time the fruit is wrapped, I strictly instruct the workers not to intervene with any kind of medicine, honestly, there are few farms that follow this strict rule."
The cost of wrapping the fruit for Mr. Chat's orange farm alone is about 150 million VND. Photo: Viet Khanh.
Before and after, the Director of Nghi Van Cooperative has always been determined to stick to the chosen direction, therefore, he will not spare time and money to pursue the long-term path of organic, circular, and ecological production.
“Many households with small investments can bring high profits but not sustainable, for me, slow and steady. For many years, my farm has not worried about output, this year the orange output is expected to be higher than last year but I am still afraid of shortages. The results are very positive but for now, I do not focus on how many tons of fruit I harvest each year, how much profit I make, but the important thing is how sustainable the tree's life is,” Mr. Chat shared his opinion.
Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/thang-lon-nho-kien-dinh-trong-cam-huong-huu-co-d395970.html
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