"White ginseng" in season, Nghe An farmers consume tons every day

Farmers in Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu) harvest radishes. Photo: Viet Hung

After more than 1 month of planting and caring, at this time, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan's family in Hamlet 4, Quynh Bang Commune is harvesting 3 sao of radish. Compared to last year, this year's radish yield is high, from 2 - 3 quintals/sao.

Ms. Lan said that radish is an easy-to-grow vegetable, most suitable for winter, they like moisture but cannot withstand waterlogging. To achieve high yield of radish, growers must cover the soil with straw right from sowing to keep it moist regularly and spray the beds and fertilize the plants.

"With 3 sao of radish, the family harvested nearly 8 tons, the import price is 3,000 - 3,500 VND/kg as present, after deducting costs, the profit is about 15 million VND" - Ms. Lan said.

After harvesting, traders will buy the radishes home to sort and pack them. Photo: Viet Hung

In the winter crop of 2018, Quynh Bang commune restructured 200 hectares of winter vegetable production area, including nearly 50 hectares of white radish. From mid-November until now, people have been focusing on harvesting.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hung in Hamlet 5, this year the weather is favorable so radishes grow better than previous years. At the beginning of the season, the price was 8,000 VND/kg; now that it is the main season, the price has dropped to 3,000 - 3,500 VND/kg. Compared to other crops, radishes are a crop with much higher yield and value, especially when grown in the winter, with an average yield of nearly 30 tons per hectare.

With a large cultivation area, the total radish output of Quynh Bang commune reaches more than 1,500 tons; currently in season, on average, people harvest tons of radish vegetables every day. All products are purchased by traders at the fields, then gathered at the main points of Quynh Bang, Quynh Minh, and Quynh Luong communes for transportation and consumption.

Quynh Luu vegetables are gathered at many collection points and transported to the northern and central provinces for consumption with tons every day. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Ho Dang Tinh - a vegetable and root buyer in hamlet 10, Quynh Bang commune, said that it is currently the harvest season, so every day he buys about more than 1 ton of radish, 1.5 tons of scallions and various vegetables. After purchasing, he mobilizes workers to wash and classify them for import to the wholesalers... In the late afternoon, they will transport them to the collection points to be transported to the northern provinces for consumption with an output of 5 - 7 tons/day.

White radish has a cooling effect, is effective in treating coughs, and is good for the lungs, especially in winter. Moreover, white radish is also known as “white ginseng” with the effect of supporting health and curing diseases.