Farmers earn hundreds of millions of dong from intercropping squash

(Baonghean.vn) - To make a living, Nghia Dan farmers have intercropped pumpkin with oranges, tangerines, and rubber trees, bringing high economic efficiency.

Currently, the whole district has more than 100 hectares of pumpkin. Each hectare of intercropping brings in nearly 100 million VND in revenue. Planting pumpkin with oranges, tangerines, and rubber trees kills two birds with one stone, not only helping farmers earn hundreds of millions of VND/hectare but also reducing the time spent weeding and caring for long-term crops.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung in Hong Duc hamlet, Nghia Hong commune, planted more than 1 hectare of oranges, and at the same time, he intercropped pumpkins, which are currently preparing for harvest. He said that growing pumpkins is much healthier than growing watermelons, not only requiring less care but also less pests. With the time from planting to harvesting being about 3 months, each hectare, farmers spend about 10 million VND on seeds, fertilizers, and care, and after deducting expenses, the income is about 100 million VND.

Mr. Hung shared: Growing oranges in the first 3 years requires a lot of money, while the foliage is still narrow, the orange tree has not been harvested yet, so I intercropped pumpkins to have income to invest back into the orange tree. Growing pumpkins both limits weed growth and keeps the soil moist, when watering the pumpkins, the orange trees also benefit. In addition, after harvesting the stems and leaves, they can be used as fertilizer for the oranges.

Growing pumpkin among rubber trees brings high economic efficiency. Photo: Dinh Thuy

Mr. Dinh Van Minh - Chairman of Nghia Hong Commune People's Committee added: Investing in orange trees in the first years requires a large amount of capital, so intercropping is a short-term solution. In 2016, in the commune, there were about 60 hectares of newly planted oranges and tangerines, and people focused on intercropping squash. The commune has opened training courses to help people improve productivity and efficiency of crops in the area.

Easy to grow, easy to harvest, low cost, pumpkin has become the first choice of many farmers. Ms. Tran Thi Yen, Son Tay hamlet, Nghia Son commune said: Growing pumpkin if sold at 4,000 to 5,000 VND/kg can bring in an income of 80 million to 100 million VND/ha. Last season, her family harvested nearly 100 million, thanks to which she had money to reinvest in orange trees.

Harvested pumpkins can be stored for 2 months. Each pumpkin crop can be harvested many times, which is convenient for farmers. Photo: Dinh Thuy

Ms. Dang Thi Mai, Binh Nghia hamlet, Nghia Binh commune, is planting 10 sao of rubber trees for the third year. To take advantage of the empty land between the rubber rows, her family has planted pumpkins. Ms. Mai said: In 3 years of planting, from 10 sao of pumpkins each year, the family earns 50 million VND in income. Near the harvest time, traders come to order in advance. I have been planting pumpkins between rubber trees for 3 years, but I have never had to sell pumpkins. Cars come to buy right at the place, buying and selling at a reasonable price, if I see a cheap price, I wait for someone else to come and pay more. When the pumpkins are ripe, they can be kept for a long time without spoiling. In general, growing pumpkins is very comfortable because I do not have to worry about the output.

Currently, the whole Nghia Dan district has about more than 100 hectares of pumpkin intercropped with orange, tangerine, and rubber plantations from the first to the third year. In which, communes with large intercropping areas are Nghia Binh, Nghia Hong, Nghia Yen, Nghia Son, Nghia Lam...

To avoid being forced to pay higher prices, Nghia Dan farmers plant in between crops so that the squash plants do not ripen all at once. At this time, some farmers have started harvesting with excitement because of a good crop and good prices for their squash plants.

Dinh Thuy

(Dai Nghia Dan)