Thanh Ha litchis were highly priced in the last two crops, creating an incentive for farmers to focus on investment and care.
Because litchi fruits were highly priced in the last two crops, most of litchi growers in Thanh Ha have now paid attention to taking care of the trees. In the photo: A farmer in Thanh Binh commune sprays pesticides on litchi trees.
The province and district have also taken many measures to promote the strength of litchi trees there.
People’s interest in care
Since the harvest of thieu litchis last year, Thanh Ha farmers have cared more about litchi trees because litchis were highly priced and growers made profits in the last two crops. Farmers in many communes have proactively cut down stunted, ineffective litchis to plant new trees instead.
Thanh Binh commune now has 195 ha of early litchis. The commune People’s Committee has mobilized the people to stably maintain the area of early litchis in accordance with the district’s guideline. Some areas of ineffective litchis have been cut down for replantation. Last year, the commune renovated about 7 ha of stunted litchis by planting new trees.
Showing us around the early litchi garden, Nguyen Thi Phuong in Phuc Gioi hamlet said: “I made a profit of over VND60 million from the last litchi crop. This year, 75 – 80% of early litchis have fruited because they blossomed well and I also paid attention to care, prevention and elimination of epidemics. Previously, I mainly grew u trung litchis. Since the litchi type was not tasty, I replaced them with 300 trees of u hong and tau lai litchis in late 2013.”
Dang Van Hung in Vinh Xa hamlet (Thanh Cuong commune) also actively takes care of his family’s 1.5 mau (1.5 x 3,600m2) of litchis. “I prune off branches after harvesting fruits. I get sufficient fertilizer for each period so that the litchis will grow, bloom, and fruit well. When the litchis fruit, I regularly check the litchi garden, promptly prevent and eliminate suong mai (morning dew) disease, fruit stem borers, stinkbugs, etc.”, said Hung.
Thanks to favorable weather and people’s care, the fruiting rate of early litchis and the blossoming rate of thieu litchis in Thanh Ha have now reached 80% and 97 – 98%, respectively.
Many investment projects
The provincial People’s Committee has recently decided to spend VND945 million to support 50% of the expenditure on Neb 26 fertilizer for 500 ha of litchis and VND500 million to assist the construction of a parking lot for litchi purchase in Thanh Ha.
The fertilizer will be provided for the people in 25 communes and the district town early this month for timely litchi care.
The parking lot is being constructed in Thanh Xa commune on an area of 4,500 – 5,000m2. Vice Chairman of the Thanh Xa commune People’s Committee Pham Quoc Trong said the commune People’s Committee turned a stadium into a parking lot, helping the traffic be airier during litchi seasons, and, at the same time, a location for litchi purchase and gathering. To date, Thanh Ha district has had three parking lots in the communes of Thanh Binh, Thanh Thuy, and Thanh Xa to serve the upcoming litchi harvest.
Over the past years, the province has effectively implemented a number of litchi production projects in accordance with VietGAP standards to help thieu litchis have high yields and good quality.
Realizing the project “Improving the economic efficiency of production areas focusing on litchi, guava, and custard-apple trees in Hai Duong province in the 2012-2015 period”, Thanh Ha district was arranged to build regions for concentrated production of litchis following VietGAP standards with a total area of 100 ha.
After two years of implementation, the district now has nearly 60 ha of thieu litchis produced in compliance with VietGAP process in the communes of Thanh Son, Thanh Khe, and Thanh Thuy.
Having 8 sao (8 x 360m2) of thieu litchis cultivated in conformity with VietGAP standards, Tran Van Quang in Trang Liet hamlet, Thanh Son commune, said: “Growing litchis following VietGAP process, the growers must record the work done and ensure technical processes during the care phase. Litchi fruits must not have excess levels of plant protection products.”
“The application of this method is more complicated than usual; however, litchi fruits have better quality and are safe for customers and sold at higher prices than normal litchis VND5,000 – VND7,000/ kg.
“Although there is no longer support from the project, I still apply VietGAP process to intensive cultivation of litchis.”
The sub-project “Building the infrastructure of a safe vegetable production model under VietGAP in Thanh Xa commune” was implemented in 2013 on 28 ha of litchis. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was the project investor.
Performing the project, Thanh Xa commune was supported with the construction of roads, water supply and drainage systems, warehouses, garbage pits, and equipment for waste management, pre-processing, and post-harvest preservation.
In addition, farmers in the project area are trained in litchi production techniques in conformity with VietGAP standards. The households producing litchis in compliance with the process will be certified to reach VietGap standards.
MINH NGUYET – MINH ANH
Đăng ký: VietNam News
