Vice Premier Sonexay promotes cucumber production in Borikhamxay
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment Sonexay Siphandone visited cucumber farms in Phon-ngam village, Paksan district to promote the commercial production of local farmers on Dec 14.
Over 20 ha of land in the village have been used for farming indigenous cucumber. There are more than 60 families growing cucumber in the village. Most local farmers use manure as organic fertilizer while chemical fertilizer use is limited.
The crop is grown twice per year.
Local farmers said that cucumber growing is a financially manageable job and the crop has a short-life circle. Every two raise (0.7 acres) of cucumber farmland can yield 5-6 million kip (approx. US$700) as incomes.
Since their farms are prone to floods, the farmers grow cucumber only in dry season.
Yet the farmers have raised some problems citing that they are yet to form cucumber farming cooperatives, their farming technique is conventional, and there is no proper price management, usually when there is an oversupply.