Full farming services with cooperatives: Mastering techniques to increase efficiency

Technical guidance via phone

Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative in Hoai An District, Binh Dinh Province, established less than four years ago with the primary goal of linking agricultural product consumption for farmers, specializes in fruit, organic rice, and organic vegetable production. During operation, the cooperative also affirmed its role as a support system for farmers by transferring cultivation techniques and advanced agricultural knowledge.

According to Thai Thanh Viet, a founding member of Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative, the cooperative has implemented a project to facilitate the consumption of green-skinned pomelos in Hoai An District for two consecutive years in 2024. Seventy-seven households across ten communes and towns are currently participating in the project, with a total area of 100 hectares. Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative has established a Zalo group containing all its members to provide instructions on the tending of green-skinned pomelos.

Notably, the cooperative's technical staff conducts regular inspections of the local pomelo farms to assess plant growth and monitor pests and disease conditions. Upon detection of a disease, the cooperative will promptly alert farmers through a shared Zalo group, provide detailed instructions on pest control measures, and recommend suitable fertilizers to supplement the tree's nutrition.

Households outside of the linkage project can also participate in the Zalo group. If these households encounter issues with their pomelo farms, they can send photos to the Zalo group, where technical staff diagnose the problem over the phone and provide instructions to mitigate damages. If young pomelo fruits exhibit symptoms of over-nutrition, the cooperative advises farmers to reduce the application of NPK fertilizer to balance the nutrients. On the other hand. older pomelo trees (eight years or older), farmers are advised to increase the potassium levels in order to improve fruit quality and appearance.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuong, a farmer who received support from Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative to cultivate 1.5 hectares of green-skinned pomelo in combination with pear guava organically, shared: "Organic farming requires different tending techniques compared to traditional farming practices; however, consumers are willing to pay higher prices for organic products. I employ the drip irrigation technology on my green-skinned pomelo and pear guava intercropped production area. I also exclusively use organic fertilizers."

According to Thai Thanh Viet, Hoai An District currently houses over 400 hectares of green-skinned pomelo production area, including 40 hectares of nine to ten-year-old pomelo trees. The majority of the remaining area consists of trees that are between three and five years old. Regulated tending practices have enabled local pomelo yields to climb steadily over the years. Accordingly, nine to ten-year-old trees have produced 11 to 13 tons of pomelo per hectare in 2024, whereas three to five-year-old trees have yielded over 7 tons of pomelo per hectare.

Tailored crop tending practices based on regional characteristics

Hoai An District is currently experiencing a surge in durian production. Moreover, local durians are harvested off-season compared to other durian-growing regions nationwide, resulting in high economic returns due to their competitive advantage. Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative has dispatched technical staff to study advanced tending techniques from specialized agencies in key durian-growing regions, such as Dak Lak, and utilize said knowledge to guide local farmers.

According to Thai Thanh Viet, farmers in Hoai An District must follow a unique and regulated cultivation process due to the differences in soil and climatic conditions to achieve the desired durian yield. Notably, durians cultivated in the northern part of the district, such as in An Hao Dong, An Hao Tay, and An My communes, tend to bloom later than those in the western communes of An Tuong Dong, An Tuong Tay, and An Nghia, due to higher temperatures in the northern region.

According to Dang Van Cap, a 75-year-old resident of Thach Long 1 Hamlet in An Tuong Dong Commune who has been cultivating 30 durian trees for eight years, durians in Hoai An District require a different tending regimen compared to those in the southern regions.

"According to the cooperative's technical staff, the soil in Hoai An District consists primarily of hilly and clayey loam, which necessitates organic fertilizer to maintain sufficient nutrients. As a result, I dug 80-by-80-centimeter holes and treated manure with lime and Trichoderma before planting durian trees," the 75-year-old farmer shared.

Thai Thanh Viet further explained that Hoai An, a midland district, is home to multiple microclimates. Namely, areas near the Kim Son and An Lao rivers, such as An My, An Hao Dong, and An Hao Tay communes, have higher temperatures compared to other regions within the district and benefit from annual alluvial deposits, resulting in fertile soil. Consequently, the technical staff of Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative advises local farmers to adopt a balanced fertilization strategy to reduce costs and achieve high efficiency. In contrast, the western region of the district, which includes the communes of An Tuong Dong, An Tuong Tay, and An Nghia, comprises hilly terrain that is immune to flooding, resulting in arid soil. Accordingly, farmers in the western region are instructed to treat their manure with biological products before applying it to their crops.

"Thanh Nien Agricultural Cooperative is currently collaborating with Mat Troi Fertilizer Factory, a subsidiary of Binh Dinh Agriculture Technic Material Joint Stock Company, to produce specialized fertilizers for fruit trees. With the cooperative's continuous guidance on cultivation techniques, the quality of fruit trees in Hoai An District has significantly improved," Thai Thanh Viet noted.