Spring comes to high-tech agricultural models

With many outstanding advantages, green agricultural production and high-tech application have been chosen by farmers in Dong Hung district, opening up a new direction in sustainable agricultural development, bringing farmers a prosperous spring.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien (second person from right) introduces cordyceps product.

Growing cucumbers in greenhouses "1 capital 4 profits"

The net house area of over ^2,000m2 was invested by Mr. Pham Van Tai, Phong Duong Tien commune with half a billion VND to grow over 3,500 baby cucumbers, bringing high economic efficiency. It is the first high-tech agricultural production model of the district.

Mr. Tai said: My parents and farmers have grown cucumbers in the traditional way for many years, hard work but not high efficiency. Now there are farmers who boldly apply high technology to production, overcoming the unfavorable weather factors for cucumber plants. I went to visit, learned from the experience of several effective models and decided to borrow capital from the bank to invest in renovating the garden, building a frame for a greenhouse, installing an automatic irrigation system, choosing quality cucumber varieties suitable for the soil for planting. After 4 years of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, I have been proactive in the season, controlling insects and pests, reducing the cost of using pesticides, regulating the amount of irrigation water and fertilizer suitable for each growth period of the plant, creating clean agricultural products, ensuring the health of consumers. Thanks to that, I grow up to 4 batches of cucumbers a year (2 more batches than traditional farming), harvesting and supplying over 40 tons of high-quality commercial cucumbers to the market in and outside the province. Although the area is not large, the model still brings me a source of income of over 300 million VND/year, many times higher than growing melons using the traditional method before.

Ms. Cao Thi Hien, Secretary of Dong Hung District Youth Union, said: The District Youth Union has created conditions for member Pham Van Tai to access capital to create jobs and successfully invest in building a model of growing cucumbers in greenhouses, becoming a typical example of creative young entrepreneurs and good economic performers in the district. The District Youth Union is focusing on promoting and encouraging the replication of the model to spread the movement of land accumulation and high-tech agricultural production among members and youth.

Smart irrigation technology improves crop efficiency

Looking at the rows of green melons, squash, and squash, laden with fruit swaying in the spring breeze, few people know that this place used to be an abandoned low-lying field, overgrown with grass. The owner of that garden is Mr. Pham Xuan Khanh - a man who quit his job as an elevator maker and made millions to return to his hometown of Trong Quan to become a new-style farmer. On an area of 10 hectares accumulated by more than 100 households, Mr. Khanh renovated 5,000 ^{square meters} of garden land, built a greenhouse to produce many types of short-term crops, yielding dozens of tons of clean agricultural products per crop. On the remaining area, he dug a pond to raise fish and built a barn to raise commercial cows. The highlight of the garden is not only growing plants in greenhouses but also growing plants in pots of soil.

According to Mr. Khanh, plants grown in pots will be easy to move, control soil quality, ensure adequate nutrition, humidity and drainage, plants are less affected by weeds and pests, helping to save on care. However, plants grown in pots dry faster than soil outside, so Mr. Khanh installed an Israeli drip irrigation system to ensure even humidity for the plants and reduce watering work.

Ms. Pham Thi Hong, Trong Quan commune said: With the support of the smart irrigation system, we just need to turn on the tap and the right amount of fertilizer will be delivered to each tree. Moreover, growing in a greenhouse has fewer pests and diseases, we do not have to spray pesticides, which is less harmful to health.

Each crop, Mr. Khanh grows about 10,000 squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and tomato plants, about 3-4 crops/year, creating regular jobs for 4 workers with an income of 4-7 million VND/person/month. While working, he learns from experience and then implements, but with the active application of advanced technology in many production stages, Mr. Khanh's farm has brought in hundreds of millions of VND in income after 1 year, affirming that his direction is correct and sustainable.

Cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis earns 2 billion VND/year

Having the opportunity to visit the 70m2 cordyceps cultivation area of Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien in Phu Luong commune, we partly understand why his products are highly appreciated and always trusted by the market. Mr. Hien invested billions of dong in cultivating cordyceps according to a closed process and shared: The room for cultivating seeds, growing and processing mushrooms is a cold, sterile room that always ensures standard temperature and humidity, enough light, and has a sturdy rack to place the growing tank. He also invested in buying a freeze dryer to process into dried cordyceps, packaging, and labeling aesthetically, ensuring food hygiene and safety requirements. On average, he collects 8,000 - 10,000 boxes of fresh cordyceps, 2 - 3 quintals of dried cordyceps per month, supplying the market in all provinces and cities across the country, achieving a revenue of 2 billion VND/year, creating regular jobs for 5 local workers with an income of 6 million VND/person/month. In 2023, his Phu Hung brand cordyceps product achieved 3-star OCOP. To enrich the product and meet the diverse tastes of customers, he is currently researching and processing more cordyceps products with specialized properties for people on a diet, with diabetes, stomach pain, etc.

“A year begins in spring. A life begins in youth” - Uncle Ho's teachings during his lifetime have been constantly practiced by Mr. Hien and many young people in Dong Hung district so that spring and life will always be beautiful.

Turn weeds into money

Although he is a retired soldier, Mr. Nguyen Cao Dong, Dong Cuong commune, does not "enjoy the countryside" like many people, but still works hard with his children and grandchildren to turn weeds into money. He shared: Seeing that in the West - where my niece lives - there are straws made from sedge that are bought and used by many people, my niece and I rented over 4 hectares of ineffective rice fields in the commune, converted them to grow sedge to make straws.

In 2021, Mr. Dong started growing sedge grass. After 1 year of harvesting, he invested in a cutting machine, a dryer, hired 20 local workers to cut, select large, straight grass, cut into different sized straws, cleaned the straws, dried them, and packaged them for export. From wild grass, with his passion, he has processed them into useful, environmentally friendly straws, exported to Canada and Korea, exporting several hundred thousand straws each time, selling for 600 - 1,000 VND/straw. "Through my products, I want people to prioritize using natural products and reduce plastic products. The batches of grass straws exported to other countries make me extremely proud because the product carries the name of Vietnam to international friends" - Mr. Dong confided.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bang, Dong Cuong commune said: Since making sedge straws at Mr. Dong's production facility, I and many people here have understood the harmful effects of plastic waste, using sedge straws instead of plastic straws to ensure health, and joining hands to protect the environment. Mr. Dong has contributed to reviving low-lying areas, creating unique green products, conquering demanding markets, and bringing economic value many times higher than other crops.

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A new spring brings hope and prosperity to the green, high-tech agricultural fields in Dong Hung. The positive signals from the models promise that the agricultural sector will have breakthroughs and sustainable development, opening up a new future and hope for the socio-economic development of the district in the coming time.