Hung Nguyen produces clean, organic vegetables.

(Baonghean.vn)ButWhile consumers are worried about vegetables contaminated with chemicals, Hung Long commune (Hung Nguyen district) has successfully developed a model for organic, clean vegetables.

Organic pumpkins grown in Hung Long commune (Hung Nguyen district). Photo: Thanh Tam

The organic vegetable production model in Hung Long commune is the result of a collaboration between the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of Vinh University, businesses, and local farmers. The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of Vinh University transferred the process, the commune selected the land, businesses invested capital and handled product sales, and farmers participated as laborers.

The 2.5-hectare plot of land, previously used by farmers to grow only one crop of spring peanuts per year, with the rest of the time left fallow for livestock grazing, has now been transformed into a year-round thriving organic vegetable field; providing enough fresh vegetables daily for thousands of kindergarten and primary school students at Vinh University.

The organic vegetable production model does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. All vegetables and fruits such as gourds, pumpkins, bitter melon, tomatoes, spinach, water spinach, amaranth, carrots, etc., are watered with well water and fertilized with well-rotted manure; leaves and agricultural by-products are also fermented to make fertilizer, and rice husks are burned into charcoal to fertilize the vegetables. Insects are removed manually by hand, moths are lured with lights, and herbal pesticides made from chili peppers, ginger, and garlic ground and soaked in alcohol are sprayed.

Vegetables are fertilized with manure and rice husk ash. Photo: Thanh Tam

“Here, dozens of types of vegetables are grown simultaneously, each season bringing its own produce. I’ve learned so much from growing organic vegetables. Organic farming means not using chemical fertilizers; we buy manure, compost it in the fields, and then use it as fertilizer. Our pesticides are made from garlic, ginger, and alcohol. Growing organic vegetables requires more effort, but they taste much better,” shared Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh from Hamlet 7B, Hung Long Commune, one of the households participating in the organic vegetable production cooperative model.

Launched in May 2016, the entire vegetable production is now covered by contracts with preschools and primary schools in Vinh City to supply their school canteens. Therefore, despite low vegetable prices and difficulties in sales this year, organic vegetables remain in high demand.

With the successes achieved so far, in the coming time, Hung Long will expand the area of ​​organic vegetable production to better meet the increasing demands of consumers; at the same time, create jobs, increase income for workers, and contribute to building the commune to meet the standards of a new rural area.

Mr. Hoang Nghia Toan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Long commune, said: "The collaboration with businesses to build an organic vegetable production model in Hung Long has contributed to changing farming methods and raising farmers' awareness of community-oriented production."

Organic vegetable production does not use herbicides, so farmers have to harvest the vegetables manually by hand. Photo: Thanh Tam

The organic vegetable production model in Hung Long has proven to be effective, meeting the community's demand for safe agricultural products. It not only contributes to environmental protection and human health but also affirms the right direction for farmers in developing sustainable agriculture.

Thanh Tam