Cua Lo farmers harvest melons, creating a check-in spot for tourists

People in Dien Bien block, Nghi Huong ward (Cua Lo town) harvest melons. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Taking advantage of the cool weather, Ms. Dang Thi Lien in block 11 Dien Bien, Nghi Huong ward (Cua Lo town) went to the field to pick melons to sell to traders. This year, she only harvested 0.8 sao of melons, nearly half the amount of previous years.

Ms. Lien said: “Last year, the weather was erratic, the melon crop failed, the price dropped, and the income was not good, so some areas were converted to grow cucumbers and peanuts. This year, the melon crop was good, the selling price was high, and the income reached 10-15 million VND/sao.”

Growing nearly 1.5 sao of melons, for the past 3 days, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong and her husband have been working in the fields to harvest melons twice a day. In the morning, she buys them for traders to take to Vinh City and markets to sell; in the afternoon, after picking, she brings them to the agricultural product selling point right on the coastal road to sell to tourists. The harvested melons are sold out in the same session at high prices.

This year, the melon crop is good, the fruit is bigger, more beautiful and more delicious. Photo: Thanh Phuc

“This year, melons are easy to sell and have high prices. The wholesale price for traders is 20,000 VND/kg; and the retail price for customers is 25,000 VND/kg,” Ms. Hong said excitedly.

Compared to previous years, the area of ​​melon cultivation in Nghi Huong ward has decreased this year, currently the whole ward has only about 3 hectares with 100 households growing. According to local people, this year, thanks to favorable weather, the melon yield is high, the melons are bigger, more beautiful in color and more delicious. Therefore, the price of melons has also increased by one and a half times, even double compared to last year.

Melon prices also increased 1.5 times compared to last year. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh, a trader specializing in buying melons, said: “Early season melons are popular in the market. Especially during hot days and holidays, the demand for melons increases. Many shops and refreshment shops in Vinh City and Cua Lo Town order melons to serve tourists. The price of melons is therefore higher than in previous years.”

In particular, this year, Nghi Huong Ward Farmers' Association has advised the ward to organize a rural market model right next to the coastal road, close to the melon field, attracting passersby, especially tourists to visit and experience.

A melon product selling point of Nghi Huong ward residents (Cua Lo town). Photo: Thanh Phuc

Ms. Hoang Huyen - President of the Farmers' Association of Nghi Huong Ward (Cua Lo Town) said: "Previously, people picked melons in the fields and brought them to the roadside to sell, sometimes spilling out onto the road, customers stopped their vehicles to buy right on the road, causing traffic safety and urban aesthetics to be affected.

Recently, the Farmers' Association has advised the ward to fill the land, level the ground, build a hut, create a place for people to introduce and sell clean agricultural products, especially melons. At the same time, create a check-in point, sightseeing experience for tourists when passing through Nghi Huong ward.

Tourists buy melons to enjoy. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, many tourists cycling or jogging here stop to experience picking melons and buy melons to enjoy. Therefore, people do not have to go to far away markets to sell, and have more income when the retail price of melons is higher than the wholesale price; at the same time, promoting the local melon specialty.

Mr. Tran Sinh, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “On this holiday, my family went to Cua Lo for a vacation. Early in the morning, introduced by an acquaintance, we cycled up here, experienced picking melons with the locals, and bought melons to make smoothies. We have been to Cua Lo many times, but this is the first time we have known about the melon fields and enjoyed melons, which is what makes Cua Lo more interesting and attractive.”

The melon field has become an attractive check-in spot for visitors on the coastal road through Nghi Huong ward (Cua Lo town). Photo: Thanh Phuc

It is known that this rural market model is the beginning of the rural tourism idea that Nghi Huong ward is building to connect tourists with destinations such as Linh Quan Cong Nguyen Trong Dat's Tomb - National Historical - Cultural Relic, Nhat Dien Temple - Provincial Historical - Cultural Relic along with greenhouse models for growing melons, VietGAP livestock models in the area.