In recent years, people in Thanh Luong commune are usually busy in harvesting melons and watermelons in the period from April to June. Local melon and watermelon have won the trust of local consumers, and those in Hanoi and Lao Cai.

The cultivation area of those on the commune's rice land has always remained stable at nearly 25 hectares.

According to Vice Chairman of the communal People’s Committee Dinh Cong Giap, apart from encouraging local farmers to change the structure of crops on unproductive and water-deficient rice fields, the local administration has cooperated with relevant agencies, and production and business establishments of agricultural products in and outside the province to organise training courses, and provide safe production guidelines for local farmers.

New and high-value production models on rice land have been piloted and expanded in order to generate stable incomes for local farmers, Giap said.

Chairman of People’s Committee of the Phu Nham commune said the commune has used over 5 ha of unproductive rice land for growing melon and watermelon.

In the spring crop of 2022, more than 64 hectares of unproductive rice paddies in Nghia Lo town were converted into fields of other crops, including nearly 28 ha of watermelon, and over 5 ha of melon.

The watermelon and melon cultivation models in Thanh Luong, Phu Nham and Thach Luong communes have proven effective, bringing an estimated economic value of  200-300 million VND/ha per year.

The local administration has paid attention to developing VietGap production models, and providing science and technical assistance to local farmers to help them better the quality and output of their crops.