Anh Son farmers earn 140 million VND/ha from winter cucumbers

This year, winter cucumbers in Anh Son were harvested earlier than usual. Photo: Thai Hien

Following the agricultural staff of Tuong Son commune to the largest cucumber field in the commune right at the peak cucumber harvest time, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuc in village 7, Tuong Son commune said: This winter crop, her family planted 4 sao of cucumbers on the field, because they planted the seeds early, so they were already harvesting at the beginning of the season.

This year, when the plants were first planted, there was a lot of rain, so the cucumbers got fungus, but thanks to good care, the cucumbers bore a lot of fruit, with consistent quality. Mrs. Phuc's family's cucumber yield reached 1.5 - 2 tons/sao, with a selling price of 8,000 - 10,000 VND/kg, after deducting costs, the profit was nearly 7 million VND/sao.

A field of cucumbers of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuc's family in village 7, Tuong Son commune yields from 1.5 to 2 tons. Photo: Thai Hien

These days, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien's family is busier than usual because it is the cucumber harvest season. Ms. Lien said: Previously, on an area of ​​nearly 2 sao of rice fields, the family only specialized in growing rice, which was not very effective. Realizing the economic efficiency of cucumbers, she planted cucumbers in the winter. To have clean cucumber products that the market trusts, she strictly followed the steps from care, pest control to harvesting.. Currently, it is the main harvest season, each day she picks 8-9 tons, on good days she can pick 120 kg; this melon crop her family earns nearly 15 million VND.

According to bAccording to Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy - Vice Chairman of Tuong Son Commune People's Committee, this is the locality with the largest cucumber growing area in Anh Son district. Initially, households planted spontaneously but now it has become the main crop in the winter crop. Currently, the whole commune has over 15 hectares, concentrated in hamlets 7 and 8, melons are grown mainly on rice fields. In particular, the cucumber variety here is a local variety, people leave the seeds themselves, the fruit is not as big as the high-yield variety but is crispy, sweet and fragrant, so it is favored by consumers. It can be affirmed that the cucumber growing model has brought high economic efficiency, contributing to hunger eradication and poverty reduction for people in the area.

This winter crop, the whole Anh Son district has 25 hectares of cucumbers, grown in many communes such as Cam Son, Tuong Son, Hoa Son, Tao Son... According to local people's calculations, cucumbers are suitable for the land and farming practices of local people, with low investment costs, with just one bamboo trellis for cucumbers, if well preserved, it can be used for 3-4 crops.

The local melon variety is not as big as the high-yield variety, but it is crispy, sweet and fragrant. Photo: Thai Hien

The growth period of cucumber is only 70 days, after planting for 45 days it can be harvested. Once in season, it can be harvested continuously every 2 days for 1 month; the average yield is 1.5 tons/sao, after deducting costs, each hectare brings people an income of about 140 million VND.

With the motto "clean, quality, good for consumers' health", Anh Son district cooperates with the Agricultural Extension Department to organize training courses to provide technical guidance to people, encouraging them to apply new farming methods, thereby forming and developing safe vegetable production areas in the direction of commodities.