From Moc Chau plateau to key growing areas of Mai Son district, strawberry gardens are starting to ripen red, bringing a bustling atmosphere to the fields. Strawberries in season not only bring stable income to farmers but also become a highlight attracting tourists to visit and experience, contributing to improving the value of agriculture associated with tourism in the locality.
Strawberry red attracts customers to experience
In Moc Chau plateau, strawberries are one of the main winter crops in recent years, with over 150ha. In the harvest season, many gardeners and cooperatives open their doors to welcome visitors to experience picking strawberries, creating a vibrant atmosphere at farms.
Bon Bon Agricultural Tourism Cooperative, Moc Chau ward, is a familiar destination for tourists when mentioning agricultural tourism. Besides new crops, strawberries are still the product that many tourists are most interested in. At this time, the strawberry gardens are starting to harvest, the ripe red and juicy strawberries attract a large number of tourists to visit, take photos and pick strawberries at the garden.
Ms. Nguyen Mai Hong, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: "My family often chooses Moc Chau as a destination at the end of the year or long holidays. The cold air is very pleasant, the whole family can go to the mulberry garden to pick and enjoy fresh fruit on the spot, which is an interesting experience, especially for young children.
To ensure product quality to serve the market and tourists, gardeners in Moc Chau focus on production in a safe and organic direction. Many areas of strawberries are grown according to VietGAP standards, apply automatic irrigation systems, use organic fertilizers and microbial fertilizers, helping strawberries have beautiful appearance, sweet taste and ensure safety for consumers. The combination of agricultural production with experiential tourism contributes to improving the value of strawberries and increasing income for growers.
Parallel to Moc Chau, Mai Son, Chieng Sung, Chieng Mung communes are also large-scale strawberry growing areas of Son La province. These days, strawberry growing areas in Co Noi, Tan Thao, Binh Minh, Thong Nhat, Cao Son, Nong Son areas... are entering the early harvest season. On hillsides, farmers are busy picking strawberries, sorting, and packaging to supply to the market.
The Mai Son area currently has over 700ha of strawberries, with an annual output of tens of thousands of tons of fruit. Strawberries here are favored by consumers thanks to their beautiful appearance, large fruit, sweet taste and characteristic aroma. In the harvest season, strawberries are consumed smoothly through a system of traders, clean agricultural product stores and production-linked cooperatives.
Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, a member of Xuan Que Strawberry Cooperative, Mai Son commune, said that his family has more than 2 hectares of strawberry cultivation. Although it is just the beginning of the season, his family harvests from 10 - 30kg of fruit every day, consuming stably according to signed orders. "Thanks to the cooperative's association, strawberries are produced as soon as they are produced, the price is stable, and growers are assured to produce," Mr. Linh said.
Currently, in Mai Son, there are many strawberry growing cooperatives operating effectively. Cooperatives organize production according to VietGAP standards, build growing area codes, link consumption with supermarkets and large domestic distribution systems, contributing to improving product value and reducing risks for farmers.
In Chieng Mung commune, many households entered the strawberry crop with a proactive and confident attitude about product output. Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Na San village, said that his family currently cultivates 2.5 hectares of strawberries. In previous years, his family grew strawberries in Tan Thao village, Mai Son commune. This year, realizing that market demand is stable, his family decided to rent land for personal construction, investing synchronously from soil preparation to irrigation and nylon covering systems.
According to Mr. Thang, early planting and proper technical care help the strawberry garden grow well, bear even and beautiful fruit. Right from the beginning of the season, the family has started harvesting with a yield of 30-40kg/day. "The harvested strawberries are sold out as soon as they are harvested, mainly sold to traders and clean fruit stores that have signed contracts before," Mr. Thang shared.
Currently, the selling price of strawberries ranges from 220,000 - 270,000 VND/kg, depending on the type, bringing a stable income for the family. Mr. Thang added that thanks to close consumption links, strawberry products do not worry about output, growers are assured to focus on improving fruit quality. In the harvest season, the strawberry garden not only brings economic efficiency but also creates regular jobs for local workers.
Winter agricultural tourism
According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Son La province currently has over 800ha of strawberry cultivation, mainly concentrated in Moc Chau, Mai Son, Chieng Sung, Chieng Mung and some neighboring localities. Thanks to the application of scientific and technical advances in production, strawberry yields average from 10 - 13 tons/ha. Stable selling price, bringing a decent income to growers, becoming a crop with high economic value.
Besides economic efficiency, strawberries also contribute to enriching Son La's tourism products. In the harvest season, many farms open to visitors to experience picking strawberries and enjoying agricultural products on the spot. This activity not only increases income for gardeners but also creates attraction for local tourism, especially in winter.
With the orientation of developing commodity agriculture associated with experiential tourism, Son La province is encouraging the expansion of strawberry growing areas in a safe and sustainable direction, promoting production and product consumption links.
During the strawberry season, the red color of the strawberry gardens not only signals a bustling harvest season but also opens up opportunities to improve the value of agricultural products, contributing to promoting rural economic development and promoting the image of Son La to domestic and foreign tourists.
