Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Today was an exciting day! We headed north out of the bustling, vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh and headed towards the Cu Chi region. We were all looking forward to seeing a more rural part of Vietnam. Our travels today took us to a rubber plantation, a hi-tech research park, a worm and cow farm (we'll explain that connection in a bit) and then finished off our day with a history lesson about the Vietnam war while exploring the Cu Chi tunnels.

Our first stop was a 400 ha rubber plantation. Rubber 'milk' is harvested 6 months of the year and approximately 100 people work at this plantation. Currently the price for rubber is very low (50 cents/L) and so many farms are being converted to organic vegetable farms. In Vietnam, all land is leased from the government, typically on 20-year leases.

Next, we made a quick stop at the hi-tech agricultural park. The park consists of an 88 ha property with many greenhouses containing technology from Israel. One goal of the park is to train farmers how to produce food organically. The demand for organic food is also increasing in Vietnam.

After the park visit, we met a couple who run a vermiculture farm, a dairy farm and a shoe factory. The husband manages the shoe factory and the wife manages the farm enterprises. Two years ago, the couple found an innovative way to utilize the dairy manure for an additional source of income. Worms and dairy manure are combined to produce compost for the rubber tree plantations and for neighbouring organic farms. The worms are also harvested regularly for two main reasons. One, the worms are dehydrated and the reconstituted with water and used as a foliar product on the rubber trees to prevent disease. Two, the worms are used as a protein source/supplement for chickens, cows and fish.

The vermiculture farm was set up in between rows of rubber trees on approximately 2 ha. Interestingly, the couple rents the land on a 2-year contract from the renter of the rubber plantation. Next stop was the dairy farm which consisted of 20 dairy cows, milked twice a day at 5 am and 4 pm. Average milk production is about 200 L of milk per day at this farm.

The afternoon was spent learning more about the Vietnam war and the Cu Chi tunnels. This elaborate web of tunnels, amongst many other things, showcased the resilience and resourcefulness of the Vietnamese people. Despite the fact that many Vietnamese and Americans were once enemies, today these two countries have strong ties.


Tomorrow we head to Da Lat!

Views: 338

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

PCDMN Soil Moisture Maps: Risk of stem rot sclerotial germination, July 2, 2025

June and early July are important months in terms of field crop disease development.  For diseases such as sclerotinia stem rot of canola and ergot of small grain cereals, suitable pathogen development must occur to produce spores before host infection can take place.  The pathogens associated with both diseases overwinter as resting bodies known as sclerotia, which are compact masses of hyphae (Figure 1).  Germination of stem rot sclerotia to produce the golf-tee shaped apothecia, aka carpogenic germination, requires suitable moisture conditions and moderate temperatures: Typically, sclerotial germination takes up to three weeks with the occurrence of temperatures that range from 10 to 20oC and suitable moisture conditions Soil moisture levels at or close to field capacity at the soil surface are needed for germination of sclerotia, although some germination can occur when levels are somewhat less that field capacity Field capacity varies depending on soil texture but is generally ar

Beef Producers Have a Game Plan to Keep Canada FMD-Free

Canada’s last outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) occurred in Saskatchewan in 1952, and, since then our herds have remained free of FMD. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Canada is designated as FMD-free without vaccination. This designation is awarded to countries that do not have the FMD virus circulating among cloven-hoofed animals without regular preventative vaccines. The 1952 outbreak was traced to a single sausage brought over by a farm worker from Germany. This seemingly harmless act of bringing a foreign food product on a flight had devastating effects on the Canadian economy, costing approximately $2 million in expenses and lost revenue at that time. If an outbreak were to occur in Canada today, it is estimated that the economic impact could soar to over $80 million.  You Are Here! Prevent and Prepare Canada is currently able to prevent Foot and Mouth Disease from crossing our borders and to prepare for any suspected FMD c

Working together to promote 4R practices to farmers

Fertilizer Canada and Alberta Grains have developed a 4R memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines how Agriculture and Irrigation, the agriculture industry and farmers can work together to bolster data collection and communication to increase 4R practice adoption levels. The MOU, a three-year agreement, was signed by Agriculture and Irrigation, Environment and Protected Areas, Alberta Grains and Fertilizer Canada. The objectives of the MOU are to improve production and environmental stewardship through greater awareness of 4R practices and principles. It also aims to establish mechanisms to pursue common objectives and priorities related to soil health/quality and nutrient management, and to support the Alberta government's commitments to the crop industry’s sustainable growth. “I’m so happy to announce the government’s MOU with Fertilizer Canada and Alberta Grains, set to increase awareness of 4R principles and practices. The bottom line is that this approach helps producers m

Grill Season is Here and It’s Never Been Fresher

“Grilling naturally brings out the vibrant flavours of fresh, seasonal ingredients,” says Garry Scott, Vice President of Marketing at Napoleon. “It’s one of the best ways to enjoy everything this time of year has to offer – bold flavours, fresh air and good company.”

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service