A successful winter crop production in Hai Duong province

Over forty years of carrot production in Duc Chinh commune, Hai Duong province

"This year's carrot crop is excellent, and we expect that the community will have a bountiful harvest," stated Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Duc Chinh commune, Cam Giang district, Hai Duong province, amidst the local lush green carrot fields.

The carrot plant has been widely planted in Duc Chinh commune for over 40 years. Accordingly, the commune is considered the "carrot capital" of Hai Duong province, with a dedicated carrot production area of over 300 hectares. Notably, the local carrot plant has established its presence in the foreign markets ten years prior, which helped local farmers earn profits ranging from 6 to 7 million Vietnamese dong per sao (or 360 square meters). Farmers with additional production areas could potentially earn substantial profits after a single successful carrot crop.

As a born local, Ms. Hanh considers the carrot plant a main crop of the commune - a plant that every resident of Duc Chinh commune holds with pride in their heart. Local farmers have traveled to neighboring provinces such as Bac Ninh, Thai Binh, etc., to rent or borrow land for the production of over 1,000 hectares of carrots, contributing to an annual yield of approximately 40 thousand tons.

Duc Chinh commune has recently commenced early production of the 2023 winter crops, similar to other regions within Hai Duong province. Thanks to a sandy riverbank soil, which is mixed with light soil, Duc Chinh commune's features are suitable for carrot production, especially during the winter season. Carrots grown in the winter season exhibit strong growth, and suffer from fewer diseases. As a result, local farmers only need to clear weeds, plow thoroughly, level the land, and subsequently wait for the harvest.

Duc Chinh commune has established planning for 20 concentrated agricultural production areas covering approximately 510 hectares, including 9 dedicated carrot production areas covering 320 hectares. In addition to promoting carrot production, the commune is also organizing the clearing of drainage channels to ensure effective water drainage for winter crop planting.

Accompanied by local farmers during her visit to the early carrot fields, Ms. Hanh revealed that the commune's flagship product has been exported to several countries around the world including South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Accordingly, 70 to 80% of the total carrot yield in the commune has been exported.

Additionally, the Hai Duong Provincial People's Committee is supporting the expansion of over 400 hectares of production area for the 2023-2024 winter crop across six districts and cities, including Cam Giang district. Businesses, cooperatives, and individuals participating in the expansion of winter crop production area will receive an additional support capital of 4 million Vietnamese dong per hectare. Moreover, the expansion of winter crop production areas will contribute to the efficient local land utilization and income improvement for local residents.

Ms. Hanh commented on her wish to see the strong development of carrot production in Duc Chinh commune: "In addition to support for the expansion of production area, Duc Chinh commune expects to receive the attention and support from higher levels of government with regards to investment in seeds and agricultural materials. On the other hand, the commune requires invesments in upgrading the internal transportation system, automating the irrigation process, and ensuring market access for local products."

In addition to their substantial exports, carrots produced in Duc Chinh commune as well as Hai Duong province are mainly purchased and consumed by businesses and traders in the central and southern provinces, as well as major cities nationwide. Numerous factories and traders have directly visited local fields to purchase products from farmers for processing, preservation, and export.

Mr. Vu Tri Dong, Deputy Director of the Bac Giang province's Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection highly commended the scale of winter crop production in Duc Chinh commune. According to him, with support from the local government, the local farmers are proactive in almost every stage of production, thereby improving product quality and ensuring food safety criteria.

"Hai Duong province's experience in winter crop production is valuable knowledge which can help Bac Giang province develop its own value chain models, with an emphasis on local key strengths," highlighted Mr. Dong.

Creating a seamless process for winter crop exports

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Director of the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted that the winter crop is the main production crop for many northern provinces, boasting high value for agricultural producers. As a result, local governments must coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop production plans suitable for each region.

According to Mr. Cuong, several local governments faced difficulties in the winter crop of 2023. Namely, heavy rains during the early stages of the winter crop affected the sowing progress. Conversely, crops are affected by the hot weather with limited levels of rain as the season progresses.

Consequently, the Department of Crop Production has collaborated with local governments to adjust production scale, and proactively supply seeds for areas in need of replanting. The parties also coordinated closely to adjust the crop structure in accordance with an export-oriented market, and ensure compatibility with weather conditions and climate.

With the aim of meeting market requirements, Mr. Cuong suggested local governments to strengthen their linkage with distribution and processing units to ensure market access for local products. In addition, they should also adjust vegetable varieties to match domestic consumption demands at different times.

Regarding the issue of exports, Director Nguyen Nhu Cuong suggested local governments to review and assess market challenges. In addition, they need to proactively ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene requirements as stipulated by importing countries.

"Regarding technical barriers in certain import markets, specialized agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are ready to collaborate with local governments to overcome these obstacles," Director Cuong added. He also emphasized the importance of early and remote assessments to avoid addressing issues at the harvesting stage, which can potentially impact the entire production process.

"The Department aims to cooperate with local governments to create a seamless export process for winter crop vegetables, with high economic efficiency for producers," Director Nguyen Nhu Cuong affirmed.

According to Mr. Cuong, the Department of Crop Production is determined to develop the winter crop in accordance with the re-direction of the crop sector towards commodity production, with a focus on quality, efficiency, value chain enhancement, and sustainable development.

The winter crop is crucial for the overall growth of the sector in the following year. As a result, it is essential to clearly identify target crops, concentrate on developing diverse and locally suitable seed varieties, expand production areas, and apply appropriate technical and processing measures.

Notably, the Department of Crop Production aims to maintain a winter crop production area of at least 380,000 hectares and achieve a yield of approximately 5 million tons. The focus is on developing economically valuable crops, establishing production linkages along the value chain, and ensuring product off-take through contractual agreements to support farmers.

Hai Duong province possesses strengths in winter crop vegetable production, boasting a production value that is over 2.2 times higher than that of other northern provinces. Namely, the winter crop production value in Hai Duong province is estimated at 223.5 million Vietnamese dong per hectare, whereas the average for other provinces is 99 million Vietnamese dong per hectare.

The province cultivated 22,005 hectares of various vegetables in the 2022-2023 winter crop, reaching 104.8% of targeted plan. The total yield of winter vegetables in the province exceeded 486,000 tons, which is an increase of over 3,200 tons compared to that of the previous winter crop. The production value, based on fixed prices, is estimated at 3,501 billion Vietnamese dong, which is an increase of 21.2 billion Vietnamese dong, or 0.6%, compared to that of the previous winter crop. The actual value based on market prices is 4,622 billion Vietnamese dong, which is an increase of 28 billion VND compared to that of the previous winter crop.