HCM City VNA) - Farmers in the Mekong Delta are sowing various vegetables andfruits for harvest ahead of Tet (Lunar New Year) next February.

The demand for vegetables and fruits is highduring Vietnam’s largest festival, which lasts from on February 2-10 thisyear.  

In Ca Mau province, farmers began plantingbitter melon, spring onion, watermelon, and tomato and other vegetables earlythis month.

Farmers in Ly Van Lam commune, a watermelongrowing area in Ca Mau city, are planting 21ha of the fruit under Vietnamesegood agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards.

Le Nhu, who has 2.5ha in Ly Van Lam, said:“Planting watermelon based on VietGAP standards has high economic efficiency asit saves fertiliser and pesticide costs.”

If the weather is favourable, farmers could earn20 million VND (860 USD) per 1,000sq.m, he said.

They can harvest around three tonnes of thefruit two months after planting. The local People’s Committee has instructedthe Ly Van Lam Agriculture Cooperative to ensure its members conform towatermelon growing schedules, the varieties they should grow and the size atwhich to harvest to meet market demand.

But recent rains in the commune have affectedthe growing schedule and created conditions for infestation by vegetable pests,giving farmers cause for worry about poor harvest.

Nguyen Thi Kieu Khuyen, deputy head of theAgriculture Extension Centre’s Agriculture Extension Division, said farmersshould use various kinds of fertilisers in a balanced manner when growingwatermelons rather than using too much nitrate fertilizers if they want tolessen disease outbreaks.

In Dong Thap province, many farmers are plantingclean vegetables, including in net houses, to supply for Tet.

Nguyen Van Tao in Long Thuan commune in Hong Ngudistrict has for the first time begun to grow Chinese mustard greens in a nethouse.  The price of Chinese mustard greens is usually highbefore Tet as people buy them to make pickled vegetables for eatingduring the festival, he said.

He has planted 1,500sq.m of the greens, andhopes to earn 15 million VND (640 USD) per 1,000sq.m and supply cleanvegetables to the market, he said.

Long Thuan commune, one of Dong Thap’s majorvegetable growing areas, has 282ha under various vegetables, including 160ha ofclean vegetables, according to its People’s Committee.

The commune supplies around 10 tonnes of varioustypes of vegetables daily, but this is expected to triple just before Tet.

Nguyen Huu Hanh, chairman of the communePeople’s Committee, said the area under clean vegetables has increased sincethe previous Tet.

The commune has instructed farmers to growvegetables that are in high demand during Tet such as Chinese mustardgreens, cauliflower and edible chrysanthemum.

In Long An province, famers in major vegetablegrowing areas like Can Duoc and Can Giuoc districts are planting more springonion, peppermint, water spinach and other vegetables.

Nguyen Van Nam, member of the Phuoc Hiep CleanVegetable Cooperative in Can Giuoc’s Phuoc Hau commune, said: “Farmers focus ongrowing vegetables to supply during Tet since they fetch high pricesduring the festival besides contracting few diseases and result in higheryields at this time of the year.”

From his 2,000sq.m field, he has been earningmore than 30 million VND (1,290 USD) by growing vegetables for Tet.

Can Duoc authorities have encouraged farmers andagricultural co-operatives to apply VietGAP standards in growing vegetables,according to the district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division.-VNA