Tribal infestation on riverside land: 'Eating' even the shoots, flowers, and fruits.

In recent years, the pumpkin plant, also known locally as "bu ro," has been widely cultivated by farmers in Anh Son district, particularly in the alluvial plains of the Lam River. Besides its fruit, the bu ro plant is also grown for its shoots and flowers.

These days, farmers in Anh Son are busy harvesting vegetables, which bring in an income of 5-6 million VND per sao (approximately 1000 square meters) per crop. Photo: Thai Hien

This winter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha's family in Hamlet 4, Linh Son Commune, planted 2 sao (approximately 2,000 square meters) of water spinach for harvesting its shoots. Ms. Ha said: "Water spinach is grown a lot here, but mainly for its shoots and flowers, not for harvesting the fruit like in other places. Currently, water spinach shoots and flowers are very popular in the market, so the demand is always guaranteed and they sell at a good price. On average, my family harvests 30-50 bundles per day, at a price of 4,000-5,000 VND per bundle, bringing in approximately 200,000 VND per day."

According to Ms. Ha's experience, with the super-yielding bulrush variety, harvesting can begin 45 days after planting. For the first harvest, use a knife to cut all the shoots 10-15cm from the base. Then, weed and fertilize with nitrogen. When new shoots sprout, select and keep 2-3 of the strongest shoots, removing the rest to focus on growing larger, healthier shoots. With 2 plots of land planted with bulrush for its shoots, her family earns nearly 12 million VND per harvest.

To ensure the safety of their vegetables, local households do not use pesticides or growth stimulants, thus earning the trust of consumers. Photo: Thai Hien

While busily harvesting the tender, plump shoots of the wild spinach, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga from Hamlet 4, Linh Son Commune, happily shared: "My family has 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of riverside land along the Lam River, and for the past 3 years, I have invested in growing wild spinach."

According to Ms. Nga, this is a crop that doesn't require pesticides, has a long harvesting period with many products such as shoots, flower buds, young fruit, and mature fruit, making it easy to sell. Furthermore, the shoots can be harvested continuously for about 4-5 months before needing to be removed to plant a new crop. Calculating the average income from the shoots and flowers, after deducting expenses, Ms. Nga earns a profit of nearly 20 million VND per season.

Currently, nearly 10 hectares of land along the Lam River in Linh Son commune are being replanted by local people, with more than 30 households involved in planting and caring for the crops. On average, each hectare yields over 100 million VND per crop.

This winter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha's family in Hamlet 4, Linh Son Commune, cultivated 2 sao (approximately 2,000 square meters) of water spinach for its shoots. Currently, water spinach shoots and flowers are very popular in the market, so sales are always guaranteed and prices are good. Photo: Thai Hien

Cultivating water spinach for its shoots is widely practiced on alluvial and riverside land in the communes of Cam Son, Thach Son, Phuc Son, and Linh Son in Anh Son district, covering an area of ​​25-30 hectares throughout the district. According to local farmers, water spinach is easy to grow and care for, is not susceptible to many pests and diseases, requires little labor, and yields high economic returns. Therefore, expanding the area under specialized cultivation of water spinach for its shoots is the right direction that Anh Son district is implementing in all localities, thereby helping people develop agricultural production and generate high economic value.