Anh Son farmers 'hit it big' with off-season squash

(Baonghean.vn) - While most people are preparing the land to sow winter squash, Anh Son farmers are focusing on harvesting off-season squash with the joy of a good harvest and good price.

Ms. Le Thi Luong's family in village 3, Cam Son commune grows off-season squash for high income. Photo: Thai Hien

Ms. Le Thi Luong in village 3, Cam Son commune, said: In previous years, her family grew squash in two main crops a year: spring-summer and autumn-winter. However, when realizing that squash has a much higher economic value than other vegetables, and has a short growing period of only 70-80 days, with high productivity, this summer-autumn crop, her family boldly invested in growing off-season squash on an area of ​​1.5 sao.

So far, the squash has yielded its second harvest, each harvest yielding more than 2 tons of fruit. Because this squash crop is rare, it sells very quickly and the price is very high, traders come to the garden to order 1 week in advance, currently the purchase price at the field ranges from 10,000 - 13,000 VND/kg. After only 2 harvests, her family has earned nearly 30 million VND.

Although grown off-season, the yield of squash is quite high, over 2 tons/sao. Photo: Thai Hien

Just like Ms. Le Thi Luong's family, these days Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh's family in village 2, Cam Son commune is also focusing on harvesting off-season green squash. Ms. Thanh shared: The family has been planting green squash for 5 years now, in previous years they mainly planted winter crops, this year she boldly invested in planting summer-autumn crops.

Starting from August, her family planted 1 sao of green squash on the same land. Although the rainy weather at the beginning of the season was not favorable for squash growth, thanks to good care, the yield was quite high, reaching over 2 tons/sao. This crop was especially difficult to do but very easy to sell, the price was high, traders came to the field to buy, so the family was very excited. This melon crop, her family earned over 20 million.

Green squash is gathered waiting for traders to come and buy. Photo: Thai Hien

According to statistics, the whole Cam Son commune has 4 hectares of off-season squash, each hectare brings in an income of over 200 million VND.

Growing off-season squash is a quick change direction, regulating the supply of beneficial products and bringing clear economic efficiency to farmers. The movement of growing off-season squash is developing not only in Cam Son but also in Thach Son and Tao Son communes with an area of ​​nearly 10 hectares.

With a successful crop and good price like now is a new way of doing business for Anh Son farmers, creating motivation to promote the production of commodity crops associated with market factors. Currently, Anh Son district is encouraging people to expand the area on fertile land, hilly land, and rice fields to make green squash a key crop that brings in high income./.

Thai Hien