Xam Khoe commune opens a new way from super sweet honeydew melons

In recent years, the Korean super sweet honeydews which have been planted by the Xam Khoe people (in Mai Chau district) have become a new direction bringing high economic efficiency, and contributed positively to the restructure of agricultural economy in accordance with practical local conditions.

Because of the change to grow Korean super sweet honeydews, Mr. Ha Van Thuan's family in Sun hamlet, Xam Khoa commune (Mai Chau district) has the average incomes of dozens of million VND per crop.

It was presented at the Sun hamlet, one of the hamlets having the largest area of planting Korean super sweet honeydews in Xam Khoe commune, we were informed by Mr. Ngan Van Hoang, Vice Chairman of Commune Farmers Association, that this is a melon specie sponsored by Good Neighbors Internatinal (GNI). Currently, the whole commune has grown with the area of over 3000 m2. As a pioneer and owning the large area of planting super sweet honeydews in Xam Khoe commune, Mr. Ha Van Thoan at Sun hamlet said: "Previously, with the area of over 1000 m2 land, my family planted chilies but its productivity was not high.

After the staff of GNI Group propagandized about the efficiency of planting super sweet honeydews from South Korea and guided how to plant, it brought high economic efficiency in the first crop, therefore, my family continued planting in this crop. In this year, the price of melon was quite high in the early crop, from 30000 VND to 40000 VND per kilo, which helped my family to earn stable income.  

Up to now, Korean honeydews have been presented in Xam Khoe for two years. With short season, they can be planted for three crops per year, maily in winter and summer seasons and after three months for havest. In order for melon to grow well, in addtion to the role of fertilizers, limit rats and pest infestations, all households would cover it by plasticbag for protection, and build high furrow. Mr. Thoan shared: " Korean honeydews have a sweet, cool and special delicious taste, and help to cool off in the hot season, therefore, they should be popular in the market. When they come to the harvest time, there are always people to the field for purchase. Except all expenditure, each 360 m2 of melon can be collected from 40 to 50 million VND per crop.