Nghe An: Farmers go to Thanh Hoa to rent land to grow watermelons.

Of that area, Nghia Son occupies a relatively large portion, approximately 85 hectares, mainly because the local people rent land in neighboring communes such as Nghia Binh and Nghia Trung (Nghia Dan district) and Bai Tranh commune, Nhu Xuan district (Thanh Hoa province).

This is the second year that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Thuy's family in Son Dong hamlet, Nghia Son commune, has rented land in Bai Tranh commune, Nhu Xuan district, to grow watermelons. With the advantage of readily available labor and abundant water resources, in the 2017 watermelon crop, he only rented 3 hectares of land to grow watermelons after Tet (Lunar New Year); after harvesting, he earned over 350 million VND in profit. This year, to have products ready for market as early as possible, Mr. Thuy focused on preparing the land and sowing seedlings from the end of December (Lunar Calendar) to plant after Tet. At the same time, he boldly expanded the rented area to nearly 7 hectares, and with such favorable weather, a successful harvest is expected.

“This is the second year my family has rented land to grow watermelons, with 1 hectare of land rented for 12 million VND. This year I planted an early variety, hoping to get a high price when the watermelons are harvested,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Thuy.

This year, Nghia Dan district planted over 500 hectares of watermelon; using plastic sheeting to cover the watermelon plants will allow more sunlight, helping them photosynthesize more effectively. Photo: Minh Thai

Ms. Hoang Thi Le, residing in Son Lien hamlet, Nghia Son commune, is a long-time melon grower. Last year, she rented 2 hectares in Nghia Binh commune for melon production. Thanks to good care and selling at a good price, after deducting expenses, her family earned over 200 million VND. This year, she continues to rent 3 hectares of land in Nghia Binh commune to grow melons.

To increase crop yield, farmers are applying the technique of growing melons under plastic mulch. Using plastic mulch allows for more sunlight, facilitating photosynthesis, stimulating plant growth, limiting insect pests such as thrips, green caterpillars, and soil worms, and preventing water and fertilizer evaporation; it also prevents soil erosion. After 3 months of cultivation, melon yields reach 25-30 tons/ha, with some households achieving 32-35 tons/ha.

Currently, the melon vines have grown long, so people are staking them to encourage faster growth. Photo: Minh Thai

Nghia Son (Nghia Dan district) is an agricultural commune, but most of its agricultural land has been allocated to projects in the area. Currently, about 60 households in the commune rent land in neighboring communes within the district and in other provinces to develop their production, with a total rented land area of ​​75 hectares.

Learning from previous years' experiences, where people rushed to rent land to grow watermelons because of the profits, without considering the difficulties in cultivation such as pests, diseases, and water shortages, many watermelon fields withered and died during the dry season due to lack of irrigation. This year, right from the beginning of the season, the Nghia Son Commune Farmers' Association has intensified its efforts to promote and encourage people to switch to more suitable crops, with specific plans for planting to avoid the situation of having to harvest all at once.

Agricultural extension officers and crop and plant protection officers instruct farmers on how to care for melon plants. Photo: Minh Thai.

Mr. Tran Quoc Hong, Chairman of the Nghia Son Farmers' Association, said: "Learning from this year's experience, the commune has instructed farmers to plant crops in households that meet the conditions, and if the land has been used for too long, to switch to planting new, adaptable crops or rent land elsewhere. To ensure people can produce with peace of mind, the commune has coordinated with the District Agricultural Extension Station and the District Plant Protection and Cultivation Station to organize training sessions on how to care for and control pests and diseases in melon plants."

Last year's watermelon crop, with selling prices at the farm of 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg, yielded an average income of 120 - 130 million VND per hectare; each household renting land to grow watermelons earned hundreds of millions of VND in profit per hectare.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Anh, Deputy Head of the Agriculture Department of Nghia Dan District, added that in 2018, the area planted with melons decreased significantly because the area of ​​land rotated with melon crops for many years could no longer be planted, and the area for new planting was limited; some areas lacked reliable water sources. Therefore, many households rented land to cultivate melons. The Agriculture Department directed the Agricultural Extension Station and the Plant Protection and Cultivation Station to focus on seeds, techniques, pest and disease control, and irrigation. In the future, the department will work with purchasing units to help farmers secure stable outlets for their produce.