With technical assistance from the Danish-funded Organic Agriculture Project 17 farmers in the northern province of Vinh Phuc have conducted an experiment in organic farming.
The Vietnamese farmers tried producing squash without any chemical fertilisers or pesticides and the result was good.
The farmers reported that organic rows yielded only slightly lower productivity than conventionally farmed rows, but the soil was softer and moister and the farmers themselves felt healthier working without chemicals.
Less pollution – greater productivity
The project was implemented by Agricultural Development Denmark Asia (ADDA) in collaboration with the Vietnam Farmers’ Association.
Started last year and intended to continue through 2010 the project aims to develop organic farming production, markets for organically grown produce, certification policies and procedures, and quality assurance for organic produce.
ADDA project leader Knud Schmidt said to Viet Nam News that organic farming systems would produce healthier products, create less pollution, improve biodiversity and ultimately result in greater productivity than conventional farming.
So far farmers have been using chemical fertilisers and pesticides in an effort to achieve higher productivity, but environmental pollution and food poisoning have been turning consumers toward safer and greener food products.
