Organic vegetables are 3 times more expensive, but customers still buy them directly from the fields.

The organic vegetable field in the Lam River alluvial land in Hamlet 7, Hung Long Commune has an area of ​​2.5 hectares. Dozens of vegetables including cucumbers, mustard greens, radishes, cabbages, kohlrabi, cauliflower, green beans, etc. are fertilized with manure and composted agricultural by-products; worms are caught by hand and sprayed with herbal medicine made from ginger, garlic, and hot peppers soaked in wine.

Organic vegetable field in Hung Long, Hung Nguyen. Photo: Thanh Tam

"Growing organic vegetables does not use herbicides, it is done manually so the grass grows very quickly, after finishing one row, the grass has grown taller than the vegetables. Growing organic vegetables requires a lot of effort so the product price is definitely higher than vegetables on the market. Currently, we sell kohlrabi and radishes at the field for 15,000 VND/kg, broccoli for 30,000 VND/kg..." - Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly - manager of the organic vegetable garden in Hung Long said.

It is currently the peak harvest time for winter vegetables. The market price of vegetables is only half, or even only 1/3 of the price of organic vegetables grown in Hung Long, but every day many people still come to the fields to buy them.

Customers come to the fields to buy organic vegetables; currently, organic vegetables are sold at prices 2-3 times higher than those sold at the market. Photo: Thanh Tam

Mr. Tran Van Hai in Hung Nguyen town, a regular customer who comes to buy organic vegetables at Hung Long, shared: "When I came here and saw that the farmers did not use pesticides or stimulants, I felt assured about the quality. The vegetables here are not as beautiful and smooth as those in the market, but they taste sweeter and, importantly, I feel assured because the products are safe for health."

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh, one of the farmers participating in organic vegetable production in Hung Long commune, said that organic vegetables are mainly imported for the canteens of Nguyen Trai Primary School and Hong Son Primary School in Vinh city. Customers who come to buy vegetables here are mainly regular customers, they buy them to eat and then introduce them to their friends to buy. For nearly half a month now, during the harvest season, many people have come to the fields to visit and buy vegetables; some people go by car to buy 2-3 bags of vegetables to eat gradually, so they cannot harvest in time to sell to customers. At this rate, we must expand the area to meet market demand...

Organic broccoli sold in the field at 30,000 VND/kg is still in high demand. Photo: Thanh Tam

When food safety becomes the top concern of the whole society due to the indiscriminate use of chemicals and chemical fertilizers that threaten consumers’ health as it is today, it is inevitable that organic vegetables in Hung Long commune attract customers. This model needs to be replicated to ensure consumers’ health./.