String beans grown using organic farming methods in Đồng Tháp Province’s Hồng Ngự District. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhựt An

ĐỒNG THÁP — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp is expanding organic agriculture to improve quality and farmers’ incomes.

Trần Ngọc Ẩn, its chairman, was the first in the commune to grow mango using organic methods, and has since been instructing others in their use.

His 4ha mango orchard fetches him an income of VNĐ400 million (US$17,000) a year.

Organic mangoes cost VNĐ10,000 a kilogramme to grow, VNĐ1,000 less than by using traditional methods, he said.

The weather remains hot in June these days because of climate change, but thanks to organic methods, mango trees still develop well and yield high-quality fruits, he said.

Most mango farmers in the club have an area of at least 2,000sq.m.

Đồng Tháp, the delta’s largest mango producing province, has 14,000ha under mango and an annual output 137,000 tonnes.

Nguyễn Phước Thiện, deputy director of the province People’s Committee, said mangoes are exported to highly demanding markets, and the adoption of Vietnamese and global good agricultural practice and organic standards has increased.

“We want to have all mango growing areas to have production codes and origin traceability and meet export requirements.”

Most farmers use organic fertilisers and plastic bags to cover young fruits to reduce the use of pesticides, and grow the fruit also in the off-season.

The fruits are exported to many markets, including the EU, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.

Longan too

In Châu Thành District, many farmers grow longan using organic farming methods, mainly for export.

Huỳnh Hữu Thuận, chairman of the An Nhơn Commune Farmers Association and deputy director of the An Hoà Safe Agricultural Product Co-operative, said in the past farmers used chemical fertilisers to grow longan and harvested 15-20 tonnes per hectare per year.

But after switching to organic farming, they yield 30 tonnes and earn VNĐ600 million ($25,500) per hectare.

The co-operative is instructing its members in growing longan using organic methods, which also reduces costs, and the high quality means the fruit can be exported to large markets such as the US, EU, Japan, and South Korea.

Phan Thanh Dũng, deputy chairman of the Châu Thành District People’s Committee, said the administration acts as a link between farmers and co-operatives and farmers clubs in teaching them how to adopt GAP and organic standards and advanced techniques.

Châu Thành has more than 2,670ha under longan with an annual output of 40,000 tonnes.

Its longan was granted the collective brand name of “Châu Thành longan” in 2016, and the fruit is exported mostly to the US.

Lê Văn Chấn, deputy head of the province Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department, said the target this year is to grow 504,000ha of rice and 32,000ha of flowers and vegetables, with organic fertilisers used for 3 per cent of the former and 6-7 per cent of the latter.

Growing organic rice ensures guaranteed demand and higher prices for farmers, according to the department.

Lê Quang Cường, deputy chairman of the province Co-operative Alliance, said the alliance has stepped up advocacy about the benefits of organic rice.

The switch to organic rice has also helped improve the environment and exports, he said.

Many farmers in the province make organic fertilisers from agricultural by-products, animal waste and other natural materials, and this helps them reduce production costs.

The province aims to increase the area under organic agriculture by 1 per cent a year in the 2022-25 period. — VNS