Model of growing watermelon intercropped with rubber in Tan Ky
(Baonghean)The family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong, Tan Ly hamlet (Tan Phu commune - Tan Ky) has 1 hectare of land for growing rubber, of which 6 sao were newly planted in 2010. Of that area, Mrs. Huong used 1.5 sao to intercrop watermelon, the rest is intercropped with corn, peanuts, and beans as before.
After 2 summer-autumn melon crops, the family harvested and sold 22 million VND, minus expenses, making a profit of 15 million VND. Compared to previous intercropping crops, intercropping watermelons brings much higher income. The watermelons that Tan Phu people choose to grow are Phu Dong variety, large fruit, weighing 5 - 6 kg, red flesh, rich sweet taste, traders from all over come to buy right in the field at a fairly high price. Tan Phu people said that the recent selling price of watermelons right in the field was from 4.5 - 6 thousand VND/kg, no matter how much they had, they sold out. Growing watermelons requires little investment, the growing method is simple, so any family can grow it. At this time, the rainy season has begun, which is also the time when Tan Phu people finish harvesting watermelons. Whenever talking about watermelons, everyone is excited, because they have just had a high income from intercropping watermelons.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Tan Ly hamlet, Tan Phu commune prepares melons to sell to customers.
Mr. Ho Sy Nguyen - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: For Tan Phu, up to now, people have used rubber trees as the main income for each family. In the first 3 years of rubber planting, we instructed people to intercrop many types of trees to "take short-term to support long-term". Common crops are corn, peanuts, beans... due to the long drought for many years, income is erratic. Recently, the commune has a policy of converting intercropping in rubber forests, which has been effectively implemented by people. The area of intercropped watermelon in the last summer-autumn crop was 125 hectares.
According to calculations, each hectare of watermelon yields from 80 to 100 million VND. Thus, in the recent summer-autumn melon crop, Tan Phu people harvested an estimated 10 billion VND. This is a new intercrop, which can be said to bring the highest income among intercrops ever. Not only watermelon, many families also intercrop pineapple in rubber forests, bringing high income...
Xuan Hoang