Dare to change
Implementing the policy of converting crop and livestock structure, Mr. Lam Hoang Duc (residing in Cay Trom hamlet, Ban Thach commune, Giong Rieng district, Kien Giang province) boldly converted more than 4 hectares of ineffective rice fields to a vegetable growing model.
At first, he experimented with growing many types of vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, celery... but the profit was not high. Then he learned the cucumber growing model. Realizing that the mouse cucumber is suitable for the weather and soil conditions, has a short growing time, is easy to care for and easy to sell, he improved the land, bought nets, bamboo trees to make trellises and planted them. With the price that traders buy at the garden from 10 - 15 thousand VND/kg, each year Mr. Duc's family still makes a profit of over 150 million VND.
Mr. Duc said that at first, after growing celery for a year, he saw that the profit was not high, so he thought about finding another direction. With his diligence, hard work, and learning from experience, after the first years of growing cucumbers, Mr. Duc not only earned high profits but also produced his own seeds, saving nearly 10 million VND each year on seed costs.
Mr. Duc shared that growing cucumbers is not too difficult, the main thing is that the land must be raised into ridges, each ridge separated by a space to pump water in and out. During the rainy months, watering is less necessary, but the water level in the cucumber garden must be monitored, not letting the cucumber ridges get flooded will greatly affect the yield and quality, even causing the cucumbers to become waterlogged and die.
Mr. Duc's cucumber growing model has brought economic efficiency to his family, contributing to reducing monoculture of rice, creating more jobs and increasing family income. In addition, Mr. Lam Hoang Duc also enthusiastically shares his experience in growing melons with his fellow members. Mr. Duc is willing to help anyone who has difficulties in production.
Help each other to get ahead in life
Thanks to his diligence, hard work, friendliness, helping people in difficult times, and uniting ethnic brothers in the community, Mr. Duc is trusted and loved by everyone. He is also elected as a prestigious person among the local ethnic minorities.
Mr. Ho Van Son - a resident of Cay Trom hamlet - shared: "Mr. Duc is a Chinese ethnic group, living in harmony with the villagers. As the head of the Cucumber Farmers' Association, Mr. Duc is a very exemplary leader in production labor, enthusiastically sharing and helping people in difficult times. We exchange cucumber growing techniques together to do it effectively and learn many good things in life from Mr. Duc".
In addition to growing cucumbers, Mr. Duc also takes advantage of the garden area around his house to raise chickens and ducks, using short-term to support long-term income to increase income. From 2018 to 2023, Mr. Duc was recognized as a good farmer at the commune level. The Provincial Ethnic Committee awarded a certificate of merit to the Good Farmer for his achievements in implementing ethnic work and national solidarity in the period of 2019-2024.
Mr. Le Phu Quy - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Ban Thach Commune - said: Implementing the movement of Farmers competing in good production and business in the locality, Mr. Duc's cucumber and mouse model has developed very well, bringing in high income. Through evaluation, Mr. Duc's household has been recognized as a good production and business household for many years and has been commended at the commune and district levels.
“Mr. Duc also promoted the role of a prestigious person and a good farmer to mobilize the villagers to unite and help each other in business to improve their family life. He also mobilized the villagers to actively contribute human and material resources to join hands with the local Party Committee and government to build Ban Thach commune to soon reach the standards of an advanced new rural commune in the near future,” Mr. Quy added.
