Harvested sweet potatoes planted under VietGAP standards in Dong Thap province’s Chau Thanh district (Photo: baodongthap.vn)The Mekong Delta district, which is the province’s largest sweet potatoproducer, has developed cultivation models under good agricultural practice(GAP) standards.
In June last year, the district’s Agriculture Service Centre launched a modelto reduce production costs for 42 farmers in Tan Phu Commune. The farmers, whogrew a total of 50ha of sweet potato, were instructed in proper techniques thathelp to reduce the use of input materials and increase yield and quality.
Phan Thanh Phương, one of the farmers in Tan Phu’s Tan Thuan Hamlet, said theproduction cost of seeds, fertiliser and labour was about 22 million VND (950 USD)per hectare a crop, down 10 – 20 percent compared to traditional farmingmethods.
He was provided part of the production cost to buy high quality seeds andorganic fertiliser, and prepare soil for sweet potato cultivation. He was alsoinstructed in VietGAP techniques.
Phan Phi Hoang, a farmer in the same hamlet, said in the last sweet potatocrop, the centre provided financial support to reduce production costs.
“After participating in the model, I know how to use organic fertiliser andapply biosafety,” he said.
The centre’s training courses on advanced techniques have helped farmers changeoutdated habits and switch to VietGAP farming techniques.
Trained farmers apply biosafety when choosing quality seeds, preparing land forcultivation, and preventing and controlling pests.
Chau Thanh has more than 3,400ha of sweet potato, accounting for 98 percent ofthe province’s total sweet potato area, according to the province’s Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development.
Farmers in Chau Thanh plant various sweet potato varieties, with Japanesepurple-flesh sweet potato variety accounting for more than 98 percent of thedistrict’s total area.
The district has established two co-operatives, two co-operative groups and twofarmer clubhouses for growing and trading sweet potatoes. Participating farmersexchange information about production and markets. They are also providedadvanced farming techniques that help increase quality and yield.
These groups have helped their members secure outlets through contracts.
Sweet potatoes in the district are mostly sold fresh and exported to Cambodiaand China.
The district plans to manufacture high-quality sweet potato products that willbe identified as OCOP products.
Huynh Thanh Hiep, director of the Nam Huy Dong Thap Co. Ltd in the district’s HoaTan Commune, said his company and others are buying sweet potatoes in thedistrict to manufacture dried sweet-potato products.
His company and others are producing high-quality sweet potato products to meetstandards in the OCOP program. Besides dried sweet-potato products, sweetpotatoes are also used to produce cakes, jam and other products.
Previously, the district’s sweet potatoes were planted to sell fresh toconsumers.
Sweet potato is one of five key products in the district's agriculturerestructuring plan.
Vo Dinh Trọng, head of the district Bureau of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the district would develop value chains for sweet potatocultivation.
The district would also tighten the management of producing and trading sweetpotato seed and build a collective brand name for the district’s sweetpotatoes, he said./.
VNA
