Đồng Tháp Province aims to develop lotus cultivation sustainably to produce high quality products for export and improve farmer incomes.
Located in the Đồng Tháp Mười (Plain of Reeds) region, the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has many ponds, lakes and wetland areas which are favourable conditions for cultivating the plant.
It is the delta's largest lotus growing province with 1,838ha as of the end of last year, exceeding 31 per cent of its target set for 2025, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.The department, in co-operation with relevant agencies, has selected and created 52 lotus varieties which are grown for harvesting flowers, pods, stems or roots, or making ornamental plants.
Farmers who grow lotus for harvesting pods earn an average profit of VNĐ100 million (US$3,900) per hectare during the five-month crop.Nguyễn Thành Dũng in Thanh Bình District's Tân Mỹ Commune said he gets a yield of 7-8 tonnes of pods per hectare per crop."The profit of growing lotus is two to three times higher than that of rice," he said.
Lotus is identified as one of five key agricultural products under the province's agricultural restructuring plan for 2021-25.The province has set up measures to develop the plant to become a key agricultural product, which has advanced technologies, brand names and origin traceability.
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