Livestock:
Due to climate change and increasingly warm winter, the area of edible bird’s nest farming is gradually expanding to the central and northern provinces. In provinces like Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh and recently Nam Dinh, people have already developed swiftlet farming for nest.
According to calculations by farmers, with an initial investment of nearly VND2 billion for a nesting house, they can potentially produce 3 to 5 kilograms of bird’s nest monthly. The current price of raw bird's nest is about VND25 million/kilogram. Thus, the monthly revenue can be up to nearly hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong. If the model is successful, bird’s nest farming may open up a new economic development direction for local farmers.
However, with cold winter in the North, the resistance of swiftlets and winter care could be challenges for bird’s nest farmers.
Pet, Flowers and Ornamental Plants:
As the Lunar New Year 2020 is approaching, gardeners in Hau Giang Province start their crops to prepare ornamental flowers and shaped fruits for this festive holiday.
Phu Hung Golden Apricot Blossom Cooperative in Dong Phu Commune, Chau Thanh District, is expected to have more than 15,000 golden apricot blossom trees this year. The species Phu Hung Cooperative is growing has 8-12 petals each blossom. Each tree varies from 2-40 years old.
On the other hand, the Fruit Production Club of Phu Tan Commune, Chau Thanh District, will create more than 6,500 gourd-shaped pomelo fruits printed with floating fortune letters. The club also prepares about 3,000 artistic mangoes shaped and printed with letters wishing people fortune and luck in the new year.
Plantation:
Hon Dat and Giong Rieng Districts are the two localities with the largest concentrated sweet potato farming area in Kien Giang Province with nearly 1,000 hectares/year. This year, sweet potatoes are especially sold at high prices.
According to local farmers, after about 4 months of planting, the yield of their sweet potato farm is at 3.5 - 4 tons for each 1,000 square meters. Compared to rice production, sweet potato cultivation brings higher profit. This year's sweet potato price is at VND9,000. - 10,000/kilogram, doubling compared to the 2018 crop. After deducting production costs, farmers can earn a profit of around VND15 million/1,000 square meters. Despite that, the output of sweet potato largely depends on the export markets of Cambodia and China.
Fruits:
Recently, the Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) and Loc Troi Group have organized and launched a system of fruit tree hospitals. The system includes 1 central hospital and 11 regional hospitals. This system of fruit tree hospitals directly supports gardeners in the South and Central regions of Vietnam, as well as provides advice to gardeners across the country through a mobile application.
The fruit tree hospital system has 57 plant doctors, including SOFRI experts and Loc Troi Group's agricultural engineers. They will help carry out activities that transfer knowledge and farming techniques, as well as provide timely advice for gardeners when pests and diseases appear on fruit trees. Doctors at the hospitals will propose detailed treatments and guidance to gardeners after clinically testing fruit trees in gardens.
Farmers, Agriculture, Countryside:
Since 2015, the Mekong Delta has the highest number of newly established agricultural cooperatives in the country with 564 cooperatives.
In particular, the proportion of cultivation cooperatives accounts for 63%, which is the highest in the country. A typical model in Dong Thap Province is especially successful when farmers voluntarily join the cooperative and support each other in production and business.
By Sonia LV - Copyright © VietLinh
