Hai Duong farmers continue to write the dream of high-tech agriculture

Race to restore production

High-tech production in greenhouses and net houses is the pride of 189 members of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative in Pham Tran Commune (Gia Loc). Thanks to bold innovation, from a cooperative specializing in traditional agricultural products, Tan Minh Duc has built a reputation for high-tech agricultural production nationwide. With more than 45 hectares of greenhouses and net houses serving the closed process of growing melons and cucumbers, the cooperative has become a destination for many individuals, organizations and businesses wanting to learn from experience and cooperate.

Tan Minh Duc Cooperative is a model not only in Hai Duong province but also in the North in high-tech agriculture with great economic value, considered to be super profitable. With 3 crops of melons and 1 crop of cucumbers each year, the cooperative earns from 2.5 to 2.7 billion VND/ha, with a profit of 1 to 1.2 billion VND/ha. However, storm No. 3 in early September has turned the nearly 10 years of efforts of the cooperative members to zero.

The most terrible storm in the past few decades completely destroyed 30 hectares of greenhouses and net houses, the remaining area was damaged. Farmers not only suffered heavy damage to production infrastructure but also lost all the results of nurturing the melon crop ready for harvest. When the storm passed and the wind calmed, farmers felt the loss to the fullest. All their assets, capital, and livelihoods suddenly became burdens and pressures. However, the discouragement quickly passed, people turned their loss into action, determined to revive the foundation they had built up over many years.

After the storm, every day Mr. Hoang Anh Thu, Deputy Director of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative, was present in the fields to encourage people to overcome the consequences of storm No. 3. Mr. Thu recalled the journey of building the Tan Minh Duc brand with a heavy heart. In 2017, the idea of ​​producing in greenhouses and net houses was only sparked in 2 member households with an area of ​​several thousand m²and after only a few years, the cooperative became a "famous" unit in high-tech agriculture. But after just one storm, everything changed. The billion-dollar gardens suddenly became ruined and desolate. However, the farmers were not discouraged.

Mr. Hoang Hai Ca's family in Nam Cau village, Pham Tran commune has 3,600 m²greenhouse, net house. This is the result of his investment of all the money he had saved over many years of working in Japan. He had only harvested 2 melon crops when storm No. 3 hit. While quickly cleaning up the iron bars scattered on the field, Mr. Ca said: “My family has not yet recovered the capital, still owes the bank 700 million VND. The initial cost of building the greenhouse was 110 million VND/sao, now restoring it will cost 65% of the cost of rebuilding. Not only that, hiring workers is very difficult. Everyone had to contact a team of mechanics from the interior to urgently rebuild the greenhouse in time for the new crop season.”

Plan to expand by 10,000 m²The greenhouse and net house of Mr. Nguyen Van Tien in Tu Cuong commune (Thanh Mien) have been destroyed while these days his family is still focusing on repairing the collapsed area due to storm No. 3. Having invested more than 3 billion VND in building a greenhouse and automatic irrigation system since 2019, Mr. Tien has always longed to be able to get rich right in his hometown. A favorable start has given him more confidence to boldly expand the scale. However, natural disasters have hindered his steps, he has to recalculate if he wants to continue on the path of developing high-tech agriculture. Telling about the time when storm No. 3 destroyed more than 10,000 m²Mr. Tien, looking at his family's greenhouse, said absentmindedly: "More than 23,000 melons, which were only a dozen days away from harvest, were ravaged by a storm and fell off. The strong storm tore the stretch film apart, the main pillars collapsed and tilted, and all the barriers fell off and were scattered everywhere, making anyone who passed by feel heartbroken."

Although saddened by the huge loss, when asked about his future plans, Mr. Tien's eyes lit up with hope. He said that he still had to mobilize relatives to support and help clean up and classify objects and tools that could be used to save on repair costs and rebuild the greenhouse. "In about half a month, when the first greenhouse is completed, I will plant cucumbers. This is a short-term variety so I won't miss the season. Now everything has calmed down, I have to pull myself together and not be pessimistic and discouraged forever," Mr. Tien said firmly.

“This Tet, the greenhouse will be green again”

That is the optimistic statement of Ms. Do Thi Hue in Nam Cau village, Pham Tran commune, even though her family is still busy rebuilding nearly 11,000 m²greenhouse, net house. In the past, her family was only familiar with growing traditional vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower... Production was fragmented and income was unstable, so when she was transferred the production techniques in greenhouses, net houses, Ms. Hue quickly applied advanced techniques and achieved high economic efficiency. Thanks to that, from a 4,000 m2 greenhouse area², she continued to build 3 more areas, specializing in growing melons. The efforts and capital accumulated over many years were wiped out by storm number 3.

When looking at the desolate, desolate scene of the greenhouse area after the storm, Ms. Hue was discouraged, even thinking of giving up. The old debt had not been paid yet and the cost of restoration was also very large. However, overcoming everything, she remained optimistic, believing in the direction she had chosen. Ms. Hue shared: “Being attached to farming, there are no difficulties, hardships, or failures that she has not experienced. It is just that natural disasters and unexpected storms make everyone feel heartbroken. Now we just hope to be given conditions to postpone or extend the debt to restore production. If that is the case, then by Tet At Ty, the greenhouse will be covered in green again. If any family can fix it quickly, they might still be able to sell the Tet melon crop in time.”

Luckier than other households, Ms. Phung Thi Tien's family in the same Nam Cau village still kept about 3,700 melon trees ready for harvest after storm No. 3. However, damage is inevitable, her family is trying to repair nearly 2,500 m²The greenhouse collapsed completely. While the workers were rebuilding the greenhouse, Ms. Tien took the opportunity to clean up the surrounding area, prepare the growing medium, and grow seedlings so that when the work was finished, the new crop could begin immediately. Ms. Tien affirmed that she would not give up halfway, as long as there is life, there is hope, and only hoped that the local greenhouses would soon go into stable production.

Although he is a mechanic, Bui Van Manh in Ung Hoe commune (Ninh Giang) soon became involved in farming. More than 6,000 m²The family's greenhouse and net house were designed and assembled by himself. Storm No. 3 destroyed everything while a large debt was still waiting. However, Mr. Manh was not pessimistic and still persevered to overcome the damage. "I planted a new crop, green shoots appeared, and in no time the vines were growing. It may take a few more years for those pursuing high-tech agriculture to make up for all the consequences of the storm. However, we must always look forward," Mr. Manh expressed.

Hai Duong is considered the cradle of high-tech agriculture in the North when it approached early and quickly developed this production method. The whole province has more than 65 hectares of greenhouses and net houses, but storm No. 3 with the devastation of the super storm affected the entire area. The investment cost to build greenhouses and net houses is very large, about 3.3 billion VND/ha, so the damage to farmers is very heavy. Despite that, Hai Duong farmers are still resilient, striving to overcome losses to restore production, continuing to realize the dream of high-tech agriculture.