After storms passed and floods came raging, muddy and turbulent water washed away all Vietnam’s carrots in Duc Chinh Commune. But that was in the old days—this spring, joy has returned to this land.
For the past two weeks, the hundreds of hectares of Vietnamese carrot in Duc Chinh have entered the peak harvest period. On the expansive fields, groups of farmers sit in rows, enthusiastically pulling carrots and chatting animatedly. The sound of a good harvest spreads across the fields.
Vietnam’s carrots
Vietnnam’s carrots packed in plastic bags lie spread across the fields, from above it looks like a painting. The internal field roads are wide, paved nicely. Trucks drive right up to the edge of the fields to transport fresh carrots to the processing plants.
Holding a bunch of large, beautiful, golden carrots in her hand, Mrs. Be, a local farmer says excitedly: “Heaven has blessed us with a golden crop. This year’s carrots are beautiful, and yields are very high. My family has seven hectares, which nearly are export quality carrots.”
Walking the fields with us, Mr. Thuat, Director of the Duc Chinh Cooperative, cannot hide his joy. He says that carrot yield has never been so high as this year. The average productivity of current carrots ranges from two to three tons per sao (360 square meters). It is about 200‑300 kg more per sao than the same period last year.
Farmers care carrots in the field
Duc Chinh is the capital of Vietnam’s carrots in Hai Duong province, with about 360 hectares. Also, commune’s farmers have also rented land in neighboring provinces, growing about 1,200 hectares of carrots. The carrot output for the 2024 winter season from farmers in the commune is very large.
By now, farmers have harvested about 70% of the cultivation area total. “The rate of Vietnamese carrots with green tops (a defect) is very low this year. However, the selling prices dropped slightly compared to the same time last year. Local farmers are still profitable due to the high yields,” Mr. Thuat informs.
Farmers of Duc Chinh are happily harvesting a “golden season” on land that. Nevertheless, just six months ago, this land had brought them much sorrow.
In September 2024, Yagi storm, one of the strongest in decades, hit the mainland, including Hai Duong. After the storm, floods from upstream surged downstream along major rivers. The flood submerged the carrot-growing area in Duc Chinh commune, along the Thai Binh river.
Local farmers are harvesting fresh carrots
The historic flood swept away and drowned all the newly plantation Vietnam’s carrots. When the water subsided, the fields were full in mud like swamp. In many places, alluvial soil silted in half a meter deep, in thinner areas just a few dozen centimeters. Many farmers stood stunned, not knowing where to begin again.
But the heavens did not take everything from them. After the flood receded, clear skies and sunshine dried the land quickly. Farmers in Duc Chinh mobilized labor and machinery to clean fields and restore soil. The large deposits of alluvium enriched the already good soil, making it even more fertile.
Carrots re-planted after the great flood grew at an astonishing pace. Pests and diseases were almost absent because the flood had swept away eggs, larvae, and pathogens. For four consecutive months from planting, it was mostly dry with plenty of sun. They were ideal conditions that led to record yields.
Especially in the four months from planting to harvest, there was little rain. Therefore, the soil stayed in place. As a result, the rate of green‑top carrots was much lower than in previous years.
Export-quality carrots from Agrideco Vietnam Co., Ltd.
A farmer in the commune, pulling carrots while talking with me, shared: “I thought the storms and flood would ruin the crop. However, it turned out to be an surprisingly abundant harvest of Vietnam’s carrots.”
Currently, the commune has five large export‑scale carrot processing facilities. Each day, these factories process and package around 450‑500 tons of fresh carrot for export. Korea, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Middle East are the main export markets.
“This year, we welcomed eight new foreign enterprises signing contracts to purchase carrots. There are more than 90% of the carrots, which are for export markets, up nearly 10% over the same period last year. The rest are the materials to make chili sauce, juice, and frozen carrot,” said Mr. Thuat.
Since the beginning of the harvest, all carrot shipments from Duc Chinh destined for export have met the importing countries’ standards. None have been returned due to exceeding residues of pesticides or fertilizers.
Loading Vietnam’ss carrots for export
Mr. Loc, a local official, is a person, who regularly works in the fields alongside Duc Chinh farmers. He said the efforts of technical agencies and the people have finally been rewarded with this bumper crop.
Recognizing that only exports bring high value, from the very start of the season the Plant Protection Department kept close watch over the fields. The department educated and guided farmers in choosing seeds, planting, and caring for carrots according to safe practices. Many guidance documents were also drafted and sent down to localities so farmers could be informed and follow them.
“All carrot samples from Duc Chinh that we tested quickly have been found safe. They were no pesticide residues or growth‑promoting chemicals detected. This shows that farmers here have thoroughly absorbed and are executing the export production procedures set by the professional agencies. It is very gratifying that more and more carrots are being exported,” said Mr. Loc.
The 2024 winter carrot harvest in Duc Chinh will continue until late March or early April this year. The good news is that carrot prices have risen to 7,000 VND/kg, up 2,000 VND/kg since the beginning of the season. The joy of the farmers in the carrot capital will be multiple.
Vietnamese source: https://baohaiphong.vn/niem-vui-o-thu-phu-ca-rot-duc-chinh-sau-tran-lut-lich-su-406295.html