Trà Vinh Province farmers are capitalizing on this surge in demand and prices. According to the province’s Plant Cultivation and Protection Sub-department, the mismatch between supply and demand is particularly pronounced during the rainy season, reducing vegetable yields compared to the dry season.
Kim Thi, a farmer from Hòa Lợi Commune in Châu Thành District, manages a 2,000-square-meter net house. Despite heavy rainfall impacting open-air crops, his net-house-grown vegetables boast high yields and quality, fetching prices 15-20% higher than standard produce. With an annual profit of VNĐ120 million ($4,700), Kim Thi’s success is partly due to the support from the district’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, which provided a soft loan for building the net house and installing a drip irrigation system in 2022.
Net houses are proving to be a game-changer for Trà Vinh’s farmers, offering 1.5 to 2 times higher profits compared to open-air farming. This advantage stems from superior yields, quality, and selling prices. The provincial government actively supports this transition by offering financial assistance of up to VNĐ50 million ($1,950) for open net houses and VNĐ100 million ($3,900) for closed net houses, each covering 1,000 square meters. Additionally, farmers receive help accessing soft loans.
Lê Văn Đông, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the agency’s efforts to restructure crop cultivation in mixed orchards and unproductive rice fields. The department encourages farmers to switch to vegetable cultivation, particularly in net houses, and provides financial support for sustainable farming models. This initiative is significantly more profitable for rice farmers transitioning to vegetable farming, with profits two to three times higher than rice cultivation.
Vegetable farmers in Trà Vinh Province earn an average profit of VNĐ120-130 million ($4,700-5,000) per hectare annually. Thạch Thịnh, another farmer from Hòa Lợi Commune, converted his 2,000-square-meter rice field into a vegetable farm under local agricultural officials’ guidance. His farm, distant from irrigation canals, was unsuitable for multiple rice crops annually. Now, he grows tomatoes, cucumbers, green mustard, and herbs, earning an average profit of VNĐ20 million ($800) per crop cycle lasting two to three months.
The provincial agricultural strategy aims to transform 1,400 hectares of unproductive rice fields into diverse crops this year. Last year alone, over 2,300 hectares of rice fields were converted to vegetable cultivation or used for animal breeding. To date, farmers have planted more than 33,000 hectares of vegetables, an increase of 1,100 hectares from the same period last year. The province targets raising its agricultural production value to VNĐ145 million ($5,700) per hectare by 2025, up VNĐ15 million ($600) from current levels.
Trà Vinh Province’s strategic shift towards high-demand vegetable farming, bolstered by government support and innovative agricultural practices, is leading to significant economic gains for local farmers. As the province continues to restructure its agricultural landscape, the potential for increased profitability and sustainable farming practices appears promising.
