Clean and Green: Counter-Seasonal Vegetable Production

16 April 2019 – There is a large market for counter-season vegetables in Hanoi’s summertime and the good roads from Son La now make it easier for transportation to the Capital. Moc Chau and Van Ho Districts in Son La Province have the ideal climate for counter-season vegetable growth in contrast to the Red River Delta where it is simply too hot. Moc Chau and Van Ho are also blessed with 40,000 hectares of arable land.

The full potential of vegetable production in Son La has not yet been reached, due to limited access to good quality seedlings, less advanced production methods, lack of product diversification and at times overuse of pesticides. There is also the opportunity to better connect supply with the Hanoi market. The vegetable sector traditionally engages a high proportion of women and there is opportunity to further expand the sector to bring benefits to ethnic minority women. Growing safe certified vegetables can increase income by 2-5 times over growing rice and maize. 

Building on the Van Ho VietGAP vegetable project, GREAT has recently signed agreements with Cao Nguyen in Moc Chau and Greenfarm in Moc Chau and Van Ho, to implement projects in the fresh vegetable sector. Cao Nguyen’s project aims to benefit 1,080 women with Greenfarm working to engage 1,050 women in the company’s supply chain and create 48 new full-time jobs for women. These women will be supported to transform rice and maize production to VietGAP certified production. 

GREAT is taking a sectoral approach to grow the sector with a portfolio of projects which will also build on the work of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research in the Province. These projects will provide solutions including access to higher quality more affordable seedlings and quality fertilisers, training in VietGAP certified production techniques and access to finance and low cost-technology. GREAT will be announcing further complementary partnerships with both public and private sector partners in the vegetable sector.