New 'open directions' from the first grape growing model on fertile soil in Nghi Loc district

These days, when returning to Nghi Trung commune,Nghi Loc district, many people were surprised by the fruit-laden vineyard grown in a greenhouse in the center of the commune. Grapes are a fruit commonly grown in the South Central Coast region associated with famous places such as Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan... therefore, when grapes appeared in Nghi Loc land of Nghe An, many tourists were curious to come.

The first grape growing model in Nghi Loc district. Photo: QA

The owner of the vineyard is Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hai in Hamlet 9, Nghi Trung Commune. After accidentally watching the news, Mr. Hai learned that grapes had been tested in some northern provinces and had initially achieved results. Since then, Mr. Hai has been thinking about bringing this variety back to his hometown for testing. If successful, it will replace traditional vegetables that have had low value in recent years, opening up a new direction for the people.

In March 2021, Mr. Hai decided to import 400 seedless Black Summer grape plants and plant them on 1,100 m2 of his family's fertile land. The initial capital outlay was about 300 million VND, of which 50 million VND was for seeds, the rest was for the cost of building a greenhouse, trellis, materials... Since planting, Mr. Hai and his wife seemed to put aside their daily work to take care of them.

Due to lack of professional training in agriculture, growing grapes initially encountered many difficulties. In addition to regularly watching newspapers and radio to gain experience, Mr. Hai was also instructed by Bac Giang University of Agriculture and Forestry on how to care for grapes to grow well. “During the past time, due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, we did not have anyone to guide us directly. We only contacted experts via phone, social networks and then the family had to figure it out on their own…”, Mr. Hai shared.

The first harvest of grapes has now begun. Photo: QA

By November 2021, after 7 months of care, the grapes had borne fruit and the first harvest was ready. Due to meticulous care, the grapes were of good quality, with few pests and diseases, and the fruit was sweet and eye-catching. It is expected that this first batch of grapes will yield about 500 kg of fruit (400 trees), with a selling price of 150,000 VND/kg in the garden, giving Mr. Hai's family an income of about 75 million VND for the first crop. It is known that this grape variety will be harvested for over 10 years, and the costs of the following seasons will be lower than the first season, helping growers make more profits later.

It is known that after the success of this model, Mr. Hai will expand the area by 1,500 m2 of fertile land and rent more area from surrounding households to grow more in the near future. In addition, households who want to learn from Mr. Hai's experience are also enthusiastic to share and guide people.

Many tourists enjoy visiting the first vineyard in Nghi Loc district. Photo: QA

Mr. Tran Nguyen Hoa - Head of Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNghi Loc districtsaid: This is the first grape growing model in Nghi Loc district that has initially recorded economic efficiency when converting ineffective fertile land to grow new crops, favored by the market, in addition, it also contributes to agricultural development associated with experiential ecotourism...