Safe vegetables project has been implemented by a Belgian NGO (VECO Vietnam) since August 2008 in Tan Duc commune, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province. The first stage of the project was implemented from 2008 to 2010. It was piloted in zone 2 and extended into zone 1 and zone 3 of Tan Duc commune. The second stage was implemented from 2011 to 2013. It was continuously extended into all 4 zones of the commune. The program aimed to support the farmers improving productivity, certifying and consuming the products,  establishing production co-operative, marketing safe vegetables and improving consumers’s awareness of safe vegetables.

At the present time, Tan Duc commune has a total of 18 hectares vegetables growing areas, of which 14 hectares are certified for safe vegetable cultivation. There is a total of 372 vegetable growing households, of which 272 households are memmbers of RAT group. The average yield of safe vegetables of the communes is 20 tons per month, in peak time of 30 tons permonth. This ensures the commune supplies safe vegetables to the market, mainly VietTri city and surrounding areas.

Currently, the farmers in Tan Duc commune implement a measure of safe vegetables growing in the greenhouse to help them increase income per unit of area. The households were taught in training classes regarding safe vegetables growing organized by the commune and the city.

In the process of vegetables growing, the farmers should pay attention to soild treatment and choose the appropriate seasons to ensure the best conditions for the growth and development. Besides, the farmers should picked good seedlings, make bầu cây to ensure a high survival rate and use clean water sources. The households should not put down fresh cattle manure. In order to improve soild quality and limit the pests, the farmers should use fertilizer (phân vi sinh). In addition, safe vegetable growing households also use biological pesticides and chemical pesticides, which ensures permited concentration and the quarantine.

Growing safe vegetables and some varieties of vegetables to supply to the market and neighboring areas helps the farmers have by-products for breed as well as increase their income considerably. Safe vegetables growing measure helps the farmers increase their income up to 17 to 20 millions VND per rod per year in comparison with old technique reached 7 to 10 millions VND per rod per year. In high seasons, there are many households earning 20 millions VND per rod. Mr. Nguyen Van Dai in Tan Duc commune said: “My family has 500 square metres of vegetables growing areas but formerly the price was unstable.  The weather was nice but the devaluation happened and on the contrary. Since participating in the Tan Duc safe vegetables cooperative, the prices of vegetables selling have stabilized and increased higher than before. In particular, the consumption is very convenient. Someone comes home to purchase. Minusing the expenses, we earn 15 to 17 millions per year”.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Chairman of safe vegetables cooperative in zone 2 of Tan Duc commune, said: “Currently, the commune has 4 houses of culture and 4 places, where we can access consumers to introduce and advertise about safe vegetables. Safe vegetables growing project not only brings major source of income for people in the commune, but also create stable jobs for local people as well as supply enough fresh vegetables to the market”.

Compared with the past, safe vegetables growing has higher costs than regular vegetables because of material prices. Especially, because fertilizers and bio-oil are very expensive, the price of Tan Duc vegetables market is little higher about 20 to 30 percents than regular vegetables. However, because the consumers’s requirement of ensuring safe food is increasing, the customers believe in Tan Duc safe vegetables and it becomes the number  one choice of the housewives.

Currently, Tan safe vegetables product has trademark with labels and packing. Moreover, it is consumed and managed in the system. Each market has an official place to trade and consume Tan Duc safe vegetables. This contributes to take safe vegetable products to consumers. The central market in Viet Tri city is the main wholesale market, where Tan Duc safe vegetables products are consumed in large quantities. In the coming time,  Tan Duc safe vegetables model will be reseached and extended into other areas in Phu Tho province.

The effectiveness of Tan Duc safe vegetables project contributes to confirm the great role of non-governmental projects in socio-economic development and living standards improvement  of the province.

Cost comparison between Tan Duc safe vegetables and regular vegetables