Que Phong: Winter crops prove effective.

(Baonghean) - Gradually expanding cultivated areas, diversifying crops, and forming specialized commodity farming zones... This is an important direction for Que Phong district in determining to increase economic value through winter crops.

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The people of Muong village (Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district) are all happy for Ms. Vi Thi Luong's family. From being a poor household, after three years of growing safe vegetables, they have not only escaped poverty but also built a spacious three-room house. Escaping poverty through vegetable farming is not uncommon in many localities in the province with advantages in land and irrigation. However, in the mountainous Chau Kim commune, most of the land is hilly and sloping. Therefore, for many years, winter crop cultivation was limited to only 30 hectares in the alluvial plains along streams and rivers.

People in Chau Kim are preparing the land to plant winter crops.

In recent years, local people have boldly expanded and reclaimed low-yield hilly or forest land, converting it to vegetable cultivation. After tireless efforts, the hilly areas of Muong, Mong, and Choi villages are now covered with lush green vegetables, totaling 35 hectares, bringing the total winter crop area of ​​the entire commune to 65 hectares.

The vegetable field of Mrs. Vi Thi Luong (Mong village, Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district).

Ms. Vi Thi Luong shared: “Previously, my family mainly relied on upland rice farming, but because we could only cultivate one crop per year with low yields, we remained poor. Since the commune implemented a training program on clean vegetable cultivation and provided accompanying support policies, my family boldly renovated 7 acres of hillside garden land to grow vegetables. At the end of the season, we earned over 40 million VND, with expenses less than 8 million VND.”

For the past three years, Mrs. Luong's family has been involved in vegetable farming, selling both vegetables for consumption and cultivating and selling seedlings. Selling their produce isn't too difficult, as safe vegetables are currently very popular, with traders coming directly to the farm to buy them and transport them to the lowlands for resale. "Thanks to this, our family has gradually stabilized our lives, and this year we officially moved out of the poverty list," Mrs. Luong added.

People in Que Son grow leafy greens during the winter season.

Previously, many hilly areas in Chau Kim were planted with acacia trees. However, acacia trees take over 7 years to grow before they can be harvested. Switching to vegetable cultivation has significantly increased economic efficiency. Confirming this, Mr. Ha Minh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, stated: "To date, Chau Kim has not cultivated any other crop as effectively as vegetables. Thanks to vegetables, the commune has begun to change. The local people are also quick to adapt and implement commercial vegetable farming practices."

Cabbage is a very popular and profitable crop in Chau Kim. During harvest season, traders come to buy directly from the farms at 10,000 VND per head, regardless of size. On average, each head weighs approximately 1 kg. As for leafy greens, each bag (300g) sells for 10,000 to 12,000 VND. Prices are higher during Tet (Lunar New Year), so farmers often plant 1 to 2 weeks later to harvest at the most opportune time. "At the end of the season, some households earn nearly 40 million VND, so the farmers are very enthusiastic and willing to invest in planting winter vegetables," added Mr. Ha Minh Tuan.

Diversify crops.

Visiting the Hai Lam Cooperative in Que Son commune while the farmers were tending to nearly 5 hectares of winter vegetables, Mr. Le Van Noi, the Cooperative Chairman, said: “For winter vegetable cultivation alone, if successful, it can yield an income of 6-8 million VND in about a month. However, it is necessary to diversify the types of vegetables to ensure easy sales. If we see that cabbage sells easily and rush to plant it, we may end up with unsold produce.”

Ms. Dao Thi Giang from Hai Lam Cooperative (Que Son) is tending to her bean crop.

The Hai Lam Cooperative, established nearly four years ago, has forged a link with 20 households in the region to produce vegetables. Here, the households have received training in clean vegetable cultivation techniques, creating a network in the allocation of planting areas and crop types, and ensuring a stable supply of seeds for neighboring localities.

Currently, the total area for vegetable cultivation in Que Son commune is nearly 40 hectares. If commercial vegetable farming proves effective, the commune could increase the area to 70-80 hectares.

This winter season, Que Phong district is encouraging farmers to cultivate a variety of high-economic-value crops such as cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, garlic, and various types of beans and green squash. The district has also established a Steering Committee for autumn-winter crop production and technical teams to guide farmers in communes with large, concentrated areas. Training and guidance are being provided to farmers on new production techniques, and successful winter crop cultivation models from previous years are being replicated. The goal is to plant 460 hectares of winter crops throughout the district, including 200 hectares of corn, 220 hectares of vegetables, 20 hectares of beans, and 20 hectares of peanuts.

To create leverage for winter crop development, the district has implemented a mechanism to support 100% of vegetable seeds for communes to build concentrated commercial vegetable farming models; and support the construction of corn cultivation models on sloping land in four communes: Dong Van, Thong Thu, Tien Phong, and Hanh Dich. It is hoped that with the active guidance of the government at all levels and the efforts of the farmers, the winter crop in Que Phong will open up a main direction in economic development, contributing to poverty reduction for the local people.

Thanh Quynh