Pioneer in investing in modern irrigation systems

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dung has more than 20 acres of agricultural land specializing in growing onions and garlic. Previously, he also watered the plants using the traditional method of using a hose, dragging it across the field to water.

This method is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Onion and garlic fields are not watered evenly, some areas have excess water, others lack water because watering is done manually. Water resources in Ly Son are not abundant, especially in the hot season, farmers have to buy water to water their plants at a price of 70-100 thousand VND/hour.

From this difficulty, Mr. Dung was determined to improve the irrigation system to be more effective. 10 years ago, when the use of sprinkler systems in irrigation was still strange in the island district, Mr. Dung was the pioneer in investing in this system.

“I went to the mainland, learned how to do it in many crop fields using sprinklers and saw clearly the effectiveness of the new system. When I returned to Ly Son, I decided to invest 4-5 million VND/sao to hire someone to install the sprinkler system on my family's onion and garlic growing land. At that time, everyone said that what I did was a waste of money,” Mr. Dung recalled.

Despite many objections, Mr. Dung still followed a new method, placing the sprinkler pipes 2 - 2.5m apart, ensuring that when watering, the water sprays are adjacent to each other, so that the onions and garlic receive water evenly. This method provides timely water for the plants, without flooding or lack of water.

“Sprinkler irrigation helps plants grow better, the roots grow evenly around, absorb more nutrients and help onions and garlic stand firmly, not falling over like traditional irrigation methods. When watering, just a few simple movements will complete the necessary steps for watering, the economic efficiency is clear,” Mr. Dung shared.

From Mr. Dung's initial success, many other farmers have come to learn and invest in new irrigation systems. Currently, 100% of agricultural areas in Ly Son are irrigated with sprinklers. No longer as difficult as before, growing onions and garlic in Ly Son today is much more leisurely thanks to modern and convenient sprinkler irrigation techniques. Thanks to that, not only has the productivity and output of onions and garlic increased, but it also creates profits due to reduced labor costs; saving electricity and water.

Actively seek stable water sources for production

Mr. Dung confided that in Ly Son, most young men choose the seafaring profession - the traditional profession of coastal residents. He once went out to sea on large wooden ships, but business was not favorable, so he changed direction to return to his hometown to do farming and has been attached to the profession for more than 30 years now.

At first, he only planted onions and garlic on an area of ​​1-2 sao of land. But the more he attached himself to onions and garlic, the more passionate he became, loving the typical agricultural products of his hometown and wanted to spread and introduce the Ly Son onion and garlic brand widely inside and outside the province.

He works and learns from experience, from the internet and applies science and technology to improve crop productivity. Understanding that agricultural production in Ly Son, the most difficult thing is the lack of irrigation water, 15 years ago, Mr. Dung boldly invested tens of millions of dong to drill wells and tap underground water to water the plants.

With more than 20 sao of agricultural land, each year Mr. Dung harvests more than 20 tons of onions and 3-4 tons of garlic. This is one of the farming households that produces on the largest land area and achieves high efficiency in Ly Son district.

In addition to ensuring water for his family, Mr. Dung is currently providing irrigation water for more than 200 households in Ly Son. In the hot weather, many areas in Ly Son lack water for production, but Mr. Dung's well is still abundant enough to provide water for his onion and garlic fields.

Mr. Tran Kim Buu in Dong An Vinh village said, “My family has 3 sao of land growing onions and garlic. Because the investment cost for a well is high, I did not do it but asked Mr. Dung to rent the well and support irrigation water. Thanks to that, I do not lack water for production.”

Not only focusing on developing the family economy, Mr. Dung also creates jobs for 3-5 local workers. Ms. Pham Thi Tung, over 60 years old, in Dong An Vinh village, shared that for the past 5 years, she has been doing seasonal work for Mr. Dung's family such as: preparing the land, planting onions and garlic, weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, etc. "Mr. Dung has created regular jobs for me all year round, with a salary of 300,000 VND/day. With this income, I have enough money to cover daily expenses, so life is less difficult," Ms. Tung confided.

Courageous and not afraid to apply new technology in agricultural production, Mr. Dung not only creates good income for his family but also helps many local households develop their economy.

Article and photos: T.PHUONG – K.NGAN