Báo cáo khoa học nông nghiệp " Reducing pesticide resides, improving yield, quality and marketing of vegetables crops in Northern Central Vietnam through improved varieties, GAP principles and farmer focused training " MS6 pdf

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Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development


CARD Project Progress Report




021/06VIE

Reducing pesticide resides, improving yield, quality
and marketing of vegetables crops in Northern
Central Vietnam through improved varieties, GAP
principles and farmer focused training


MS6:
Third Six-Monthly Report






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Table of Contents

1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 2

2. Project Abstract________________________________________________________ 3
3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 3
4. Introduction & Background______________________________________________ 4
5. Progress to Date _______________________________________________________ 4
5.1 Implementation Highlights __________________________________________________ 4
5.2 Capacity Building__________________________________________________________ 6
5.3 Publicity__________________________________________________________________ 6
5.4 Project Management _______________________________________________________ 6
5.5 Environment ______________________________________________________________ 6
5.6 Gender and Social Issues ____________________________________________________ 7
6. Implementation & Sustainability Issues ____________________________________ 7
6.1 Issues and Constraints ______________________________________________________ 7
6.2 Options___________________________________________________________________ 7
6.3 Sustainability______________________________________________________________ 7
7. Next Critical Steps______________________________________________________ 7
8. Conclusion____________________________________________________________ 7
9. Statutory Declaration _____________________________Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1. Institute Information
Project Name
Reducing pesticide residues, improving yield, quality and marketing
of vegetable crops in Northern Central Vietnam through improved
varieties, GAP principles and farmer focused training
Vietnamese Institution
Agricultural Science Institute for Northern Central Vietnam.
(“ASINCV”), Nghi Kim, Vinh city, Nghe An province, VN
VN Project Team Leader
Dr Chuong

Australian Organisation
Applied Horticultural Research Pty. Ltd.(AHR) ACN 073 642 510
Suite 352 Biomedical Building, 1 Central Ave
Everleigh NSW 2015 Australia
Australian Personnel
Prof. Gordon Rogers
Date commenced
March 2007
Completion date (original)
July 2008
Completion date (revised)
July 2008
Reporting period
Milestone achieved July 2008

Contact Officer(s)
In Australia: Team Leader
Name:
Assoc Prof. Gordon Rogers
Telephone:
+61 2 8627 1040
Position:
Project Leader
Fax:
+61 2 9544 3782
Organisation
AHR, Applied Horticultural
Research
Suite 352 Biomedical Building , 1
Central Ave

Everleigh NSW 2015, Australia
Email:


In Australia: Administrative contact
Name:
Lynn Christie
Telephone:
+61 2 9527 0826
Position:
Administrator
Fax:
+61 2 9544 3782
Organisation AHR, Applied Horticultural Research
PO Box 3114, Bundeena NSW 2230
Australia
Email:

In Vietnam
Name:
Dr Pham Van Chuong
Telephone:
+84 (903) 221 612
Position:
Team Leader Vietnam
Fax:
+84(0) 38 851 981
Organisation
Agricultural Science Institute for
Northern Central Vietnam.

(“ASINCV”)
Nghi Kim, Vinh city, Nghe An
province, Vietnam
Email:



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2. Project Abstract














3. Executive Summary
The project uses a participatory approach to encourage the uptake of good agricultural
practices (GAP) by the collaborating Vietnamese Institutes and the stakeholders (farmers,
extension staff and commercial partners). The project includes several training initiatives.
Such as the establishment of demonstration variety and GAP trials which are the basis of
farmer field days, postharvest research investigating temperature management and packaging
along the supply chain and market development.

This reporting period has focused on the harvesting, supply and marketing of cabbages to
markets in Hanoi. Cabbage research trials have been conducted at ASINCV. The baseline
survey is complete. Cabbage shipments have been successfully sent to Metro Cash and Carry
in Hanoi. By April 2008, over 50 tonnes of cabbages were delivered in good condition and
sold through the Metro cash and Carry network of stores, primarily in the north.
The Vinh – Nghe Ahn Brand has been developed including stickers and posters which were
designed by a professional graphic design studio in Sydney. Initially 5000 copies of the
stickers were printed in Australia, and subsequently the stickers have been printed in
Vietnam. Dr Rogers presented a paper at the Fresh Produce Vietnam conference held in Ho
ChI Minh City from the 2
nd
to the 4
th
April 2008. Dr Rogers also wrote articles for the
April/May 2008 Issue of Asia Fruit Magazine and CARD Newsletter.

Three scientists, Mr. Doan Xuan Canh, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Quyen and Mr. Nguyen Duc
Thang from ASINCV visited Australia between the 10
th
and 28
th
February 2008 and attended
the Australian Melon Conference. Farmer Field Schools were conducted in Quynh Luong and
Hung Ding communes during this period on the harvesting and handling of cabbage as well as
the production of watermelon. There were three visits by the Australian team to Vietnam
during this time.

The project is running well and we look forward to having even more success with the second
crop of watermelons later in the year.

Vegetable farming in Vietnam can bring an attractive income of around 20-30 Million VND per
year which represents 80-90% of the average farming family income. There is potential to
increase these returns to growers by maximizing yield and quality of the produce they grow. This
project aims to improve the income of smallholders by encouraging them to adopt clean and
sustainable production practices. This will involve providing high yielding; disease resistant
varieties of watermelon and cabbage, providing information and training in Good Agricultural
Practice. The introduction of new varieties and GAP will be implanted using a participatory
approach with farmer field days and workshops lead by leading Australian industry consultants.
The highlight from this reporting period is the production of high quality cabbages using GAP at
Quynh Luong Commune and Hung Duong Co-operative and the enthusiasm from Metro Cash and
Carry to sell these products in the Hanoi store. This is a very positive step for developing an
alternative supply chain for these farmers which could be more reliable and profitable than the
existing ones they use. The use of IPM and the agronomic record books has also been an
important first steps for the adoption of a QA system for the growers.

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4. Introduction & Background
Vegetable growing in Vietnam is an important source of income for the country and accounts
for 9% of the total cropping including rice.

There is potential to increase these returns to growers by maximizing yield and quality of the
produce they grow. However, there are several aspects of the vegetable industry in Vietnam
which currently limit expansion and development of the industry and financial returns to
farmers, i.e.:

• High pesticide and nitrosamine residues in produce
• Postharvest temperature management and handling technology limits the quality
presented to consumers
• Agronomic practices used by growers can limit potential yields and hence farmer

income
• Traditional marketing can limit farmer returns

The project will use a participatory approach to encourage the uptake of good agricultural
practices (GAP) by the collaborating Vietnamese Institutes and the stakeholders (farmers,
extension staff and commercial partners). The project will include several training initiatives.
These include the establishment of demonstration variety and GAP trials which will be the
basis of farmer field days, postharvest research investigating temperature management and
packaging along the supply chain, intensive training of Vietnamese horticulturalists in
Australia and the delivery of a large workshop at the end of the project to ensure the
information is available to as wide an audience as possible.

Another important aim is to develop a new and reliable market for growers by establishing
supply chain links with Metro supermarkets. This will mean that the number of steps in the
supply chain will be reduced and the product will reach the final customers more quickly,
resulting in a fresher product with increased demand and sales. As a result, farmers will
benefit through increased sales, more reliable markets, better communication with product
buyers and in turn better returns. Retailers benefit through reliable supplies of consistent
clean product that meets their specifications and thus improving their sales and returns.

The project is focussed on outdoor farmers adopting methods to produce clean high
quality vegetables by:
o New varieties
o Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)
o Participatory training
o Postharvest research and training
o Developing supply chain links

5. Progress to Date
5.1 Implementation Highlights

The main activities undertaken since the last six-monthly report (milestone 4) include:

(i) The cabbage research trials including variety, nutrition, planting density and planting time
at the ASINCV research institute in Vinh City have now been completed. The results of these
trials have been reported and reports were attached to milestone 5.


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(ii) The baseline survey is complete. The first baseline survey was carried out at: Hung Dong
commune, Vinh city, with 30 farmer households; Quynh Luong commune, Quynh Luu
district, with 30 farmer households; and at Hung Loi commune, Hung Nguyen district, with
30 farmer households.

The survey found that farmers are skilled in traditional vegetable production methods. Many
vegetable crops are grown from local varieties which produce only low yields, which could be
improved by changing to new varieties. Pesticide and chemical safety was poor at three
surveyed sites for vegetable production. Improved postharvest handling represented a good
opportunity to increase vegetable quality and improve shelf life but individual farmers were
not interested because of their small scale. Quality Assurance management was not yet being
practiced at the surveyed sites.

(iii) Cabbage shipments have been successfully sent to Metro Cash and Carry in Hanoi. By
April 2008, over 50 tonnes of cabbages were delivered in good condition and sold through the
Metro cash and Carry network of stores, primarily in the north.

(iv) Vinh – Nghe Ahn Brand has been developed and this includes stick on labels and posters.
Stickers for fruit were designed by a professional graphic design studio in Sydney and 5000
copies of the stickers were printed and sent to Vietnam. Subsequently labels have been
printed in Vietnam. This development was funded from the Australian component of the
project budget. The stickers were important to differentiate the GAP-produced cabbages and

identify them as having been grown under GAP guidelines and free from excessive pesticide
residues. The stickers were supported by in-store posters and training on postharvest handling
and marketing present by John Baker to farmers and retail staff from Metro Hanoi.

(v) Dr Rogers was invited to attend the Fresh Produce Vietnam conference in Ho Chi Minh
City (2
nd
– 4
th
April 2008) and present a paper on the project. In addition, Dr Chuong and Mr
Cuong were invited to attend the conference. The presentation is attached to the milestone
report.

(vi) Dr Rogers wrote articles for the April/May 2008 Issue of Asia Fruit Magazine and the
CARD Newsletter. These articles are attached to this milestone report.

(vii) Three scientists, Mr. Doan Xuan Canh, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Quyen and Mr. Nguyen
Duc Thang from ASINCV in Vinh City visited Australia between the 10
th
and 28
th
February
2008. They visited farms, retailers and marketers in Australia and attended the Australian
Melon Conference in Ipswich, Queensland during their visit.

(viii) Training was delivered to farmers in Quynh Luong and Hung Ding communes during
this period on the harvesting and handling of cabbage as well as the production of
watermelon.

(ix) Trainer of Trainer workshops were presented at ASINCV by Dr Jobling and Mr Baker on

cabbage harvesting, postharvest and marketing in January 2008. Separate training on
watermelon agronomy was presented by Mr Titley in March/April 2008 at Quynh Luong and
at ASINCV.

(x) There were three visits by the Australian team to Vietnam during this time.

Dates Who went Objective(s) of Trip Activities
14
th

January –
22
nd

January
Jenny
Jobling
John Baker
Train Metro Cash and Carry in
handling techniques. Oversee
harvesting and ensure adequate
quality
Presentation by JB at Metro Hanoi. Oversee
first cabbage harvest in QL. Travel to Hanoi
and view produce on arrival. Liaise with Mr
Thai - Metro

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27

th
March
– 5
th
April
Gordon
Rogers
Review Crops and attend Fresh
produce Vietnam
Review cabbage crops
Present farmer field school
Attend Fresh produce Vietnam
1
st
June –
6
th
June
2008
John Baker
Mike Titley
Develop a marketing plan for
watermelons. Review crops in the
field and train farmers (FFS) and
QL and HD
Visit field and inspect crops with farmers
Provide training at HD and QL
Meeting with Metro in Hanoi
Develop detailed marketing plan with metro
(see trip report)

5.2 Capacity Building
Skills have been built in several ways:

• Three staff members from ASINCV travelled to Australia, inspected modern seedling
production facilities, watermelon farms in NSW and Qld, and attended the Australian
Melon Conference
• Dr Chuong and Mr Cuong attended the Fresh Produce Vietnam conference in Ho Chi
Minh City
• Members of Metro, farmers and ASINCV staff trained in marketing and postharvest
handling of cabbage.
• Field research skills of staff at ASINCV have been enhanced through the successful
planning, execution and reporting of field trials
• Skills and knowledge of farmers and ASINCV research and support staff have been
enhanced through training provided by Australian experts and by ASINCV and
MARD staff locally
5.3 Publicity
• Dr Chuong was interviewed on national television about the project. The file of the
TV program is available if required, but since the file is large, it will not be attached
to this email.

• An article was written for the April/May 2008 Issue of Asia Fruit Magazine and the
copy is attached to this milestone report.

• An article was written for the CARD Newsletter about the project and this was
published in 2008.

5.4 Project Management
The project activities have been progressing as per the schedule in the project logframe. The
submission of milestone reports has been slow and this has affected cash flow to fund project

operations. Applied Horticultural Research has made payments to ASINCV in advance of
receiving payments from CARD to keep things moving and this has been successful. The
current plan is to have all outstanding milestone reports submitted by the end of March 2010.
5.5 Environment
The farmers participating in the project were been provided with feedback that on one
occasion, high pesticide residue levels were found in their produce (reported in milestone 4).
This problem has been solved and no further incidences of high pesticide residues have been
found.

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5.6 Gender and Social Issues
This project will continue to address gender and social issues by trying to improve the income
of local farmers by facilitating a linkage between the growers and Metro Cash and Carry.

6. Implementation & Sustainability Issues
6.1 Issues and Constraints
There have been no significant issues which have compromised project activities.
6.2 Options
Nil
6.3 Sustainability
No sustainability issues.

7. Next Critical Steps
The next critical steps are to successfully produce and market watermelons for the northern
market to follow up on the successes of the cabbage supply. Watermelon agronomic trials
need to assessed and reported, and the results passed back to project team members. The
supply chain analysis needs to be conducted and crop specifications generated for cabbage
and watermelons. Farmer Field Schools and training will be conducted to assist in the
implementation of these activities.
8. Conclusion

Will be covered in the project final report.


Attachments

Presentation at Fresh Produce
Logo for cabbage
Poster for cabbage
Article in Asia Fruit Magazine
Article in CARD newsletter
1 training presentation (English and VNM)
John Baker presentation on cabbage
Trip Itinerary for Mr. Canh, Ms. Quyen and Mr. Thang visit to Australia