C-Farm 'harvests sweet fruit' from advanced technology

Saving 35% of fertilizer and increasing productivity by 50% thanks to irrigation technology

In the context that citrus growers nationwide in general and in Binh Duong in particular are having to "half laugh, half cry" due to the low price of oranges and tangerines sold to the market, C-Farm's products are still regularly supplied to the market and are present in almost all clean food stores from South to North, with a stable price of over VND 30,000/kg. This is the result after 4 years of hard work by C-Farm owner Lam Thi My Tien with the determination to reform the entire family's orange and tangerine garden from traditional production methods to applying scientific and technical advances to production.

Mrs. Tien said that her family has grown citrus trees for four generations. After studying abroad in the Netherlands and having access to advanced agricultural production in developed countries, she has made many changes in her production thinking. At the same time the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, health was considered a precious thing, which has strengthened her determination to do clean, safe agriculture.

Despite sunny and hot weather, coming to C-farm, we feel the coolness under the vast green color of fruit trees. Having seen Mrs. My Tien's orange and tangerine care process according to VietGAP standards, we couldn't help admiring. In the orange and tangerine garden of more than 50 hectares, large and full of fruits, winding along the Dong Nai River, each group of workers has their own job: watering combined with automatic organic fertilizer addition, pruning branches to create a canopy, manual weeding, harvesting, etc., bustling the whole land.

According to Mrs. Tien, her family's garden takes advantage of the water source from the Dong Nai River and the high hill land that is very suitable for citrus trees, limiting flooding. To promote efficiency in cultivation, C-Farm does not hesitate to invest in a reservoir combined with the most advanced organic fertigation system today, at a total cost of hundreds of millions of dong.

The drip irrigation system in the garden includes water pumps or towers, an impurity filter or waste treatment system, an accompanying fertilizer or nutrient system, pipes, and a drop generator. The pump system and discharge valves can be controlled manually or automatically by a computer.

This is the most water-saving drip irrigation system. This method helps distribute water evenly to all points without eroding or compacting the soil. Although it is very modern, this technology is easy to operate and install, not requiring much technical support. Drip irrigation is less dependent on natural factors such as steep or fragmented terrain and soil composition and structure, helping to save water compared to traditional irrigation methods.

“Production practice shows that although this year's weather is harsh and has little rain, thanks to proactive water sources, production has achieved good results, ensuring improved productivity, quality, and product design. Specifically, the system helps save 40% of irrigation water and 35% of fertilizer and increases crop productivity by about 50%. Most clearly, in the context of increasingly scarce agricultural labor, the system helps reduce the number of workers significantly. Previously, hundreds of workers were needed to irrigate the entire farm, but now it only requires less than 10 people. In addition, trees with enough water can fruit all year round, but the quality remains stable," Mrs. Tien said.

Standing firm thanks to the e-commerce "weapon"

In parallel with building an orange and tangerine farm meeting VietGAP standards and being as beautiful as in the picture, Mrs. Tien also approaches solutions to conquer the market. She enhanced her participation in trade promotion activities inside and outside the province. She also soon implemented e-commerce and was one of the first local farmers to bring agricultural products to the e-commerce platform and sell them through social networking platforms. C-Farm's products have currently gained the trust of consumers and have a firm stand in the market.

Appearing in gardening clothes and a palm-leaf conical hat with hand-painted orange section-shaped patterns, Mrs. Tien said, "Hello everyone, it is Tangerine Tien again"—the familiar opening sentence of the video that Ms. Tien showed us on the TikTok channel and other social networking platforms with a large number of followers every livestream. In the videos, Mrs. Tien passionately talks about citrus growing profession; the way of choosing delicious oranges and tangerines; the process of bringing orange and tangerine to market; and countless things related to orange and tangerine.

"The fearest thing of farmers is the state of 'good harvest, bad price' or 'rescuing' agricultural products. Agricultural products are grown too much but cannot be sold and are labeled as 'rescued' products, causing agricultural products to lose value. Thanks to direct participation in agricultural fairs organized by the province and bringing agricultural products to the e-commerce platform, along with sales through social networking platforms, the amount of mandarin tangerines I sold during Tet 2024 brought a revenue of more than VND 150 million in just 10 days of live streaming on social networks. Therefore, I hope the locality will create more opportunities for farmers to be guided in communication and promote the image of agricultural products directly to consumers," Mrs. Tien said.

Sharing advice for agricultural startups, Mrs. Tien said: "Following VietGAP standards is not difficult, but crop productivity will not be equal to that of using traditional methods. However, thanks to safe production and more and more clean food stores, there is no need to worry about output. Price is also not a problem for consumers because they are willing to spend money to buy good food. Gardeners also benefit.

For young people starting a business in the agricultural sector, in addition to passion and determination, it is necessary to have a long-term plan and professionalism in work, such as clearly understanding where the products they make are sold, market demand, or how to have competitive prices; determining competitive advantages and strengths and weaknesses of products; and at the same time mastering production technology and processes. Only then can starting an agricultural business be able to stand firm in the market."

Mr. Mai Duc Quy, Chairman of the Hieu Liem Commune People's Committee, said: Being deposited with silt by Dong Nai and Be Rivers, Hieu Liem commune is well known as the largest citrus tree growing area in Binh Duong province. Orange, tangerine, and grapefruit specialties here have been granted collective trademarks by the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam and have become the "soul" of agriculture here. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of citrus products fell sharply, causing many gardeners to fall into trouble. With its approach, C-Farm has been creating a spillover effect, and the locality has also been replicating this model.

"Local typical products have their own brand in the market. But for sustainable development, it is mandatory to "breathe the soul of the countryside" into the product. Consumers are exactly fast, effective, and trustworthy promoters because they have directly experienced the product. And this is the sustainable citrus tree development strategy that the agricultural sector of Binh Duong province has been implementing," said Mr. Mai Duc Quy, Chairman of the Hieu Liem Commune People's Committee.