Economic Development – Fresh Studio

End 2019 Fresh Studio together with the project consortium Applied Horticulture Research, Royal Brinkman, BVB-Substrates, Semillas Fito and Gautier Semences started to identify 13 female farmers willing to investment in a plant nursery or vegetable production greenhouse in Son La province.

This was not an easy task as greenhouse production is relatively new in Son La province, but in 2019 5 female farmers had enough trust to join the project and the first plant nurseries and greenhouses were established. These plant nurseries and greenhouses were very well received and with their quality and design set a new standard. The first build nurseries and greenhouses in combination with the technical support by our local team of agronomist made it easier to earn the trust of more female farmers to join the project and invest themselves in a plant nursery or vegetable production greenhouse.

Today the project objective of realizing 8 plant nurseries and 5 vegetable production greenhouses has been realized with the final construction work completed. The work of the project now continues in the coming weeks, with training of farmers, field days to share knowledge and technologies and continues coaching and technical support through our local team or agronomists based in Moc Chau and Hanoi. Rene van Rensen – Managing Partner / R&D Director crops was able to visit all location during is recent visit to Moc Chau, Van Ho and Mai Son.

Rene van Rensen: “It is really exciting to see how dedicated and proud the nursery and greenhouse owners are to produce seedlings and vegetables. It makes me very proud to see the progress they are making to work in a professional way and our team of Fresh Studio to realize all successfully! We can see already the positive impact this project has on developing a professional horticulture sector in Son La province in which women are in the lead. ”

Through the plant nurseries local farmers have now access to high quality seedlings and improved and new varieties and through the vegetable production greenhouses local farmers learn how to extend their production season, produce vegetables they could not grow before, increase the yield and quality of their crops all in compliance with VietGAP to ensure food safety.

It gives us great pride to make knowledge and technologies available for the farmers in Son La so they have a bright future ahead!

For more information regarding the project contact:

Ông René van Rensen

Managing Partner / R&D Director Crops

Fresh Studio

rene.van.rensen@freshstudio.vn

For more information regarding the GREAT program see: http://equality.aus4vietnam.org/

There are great opportunities to increase vegetable production in Son La and through these vegetable value chains empower local ethnic women and increase their technical as well as their management skills.

Successful vegetable production starts with access to good quality seeds, seedlings and access to knowledge and technologies for more advanced vegetable production. Without ensuring that these points are well implemented and present locally it will be difficult to bring vegetable production chains to a higher level.

This project will enable access to good quality seeds, seedlings and knowledge and technologies for more advanced vegetable production to hundreds of local farmers and farmers groups, specifically targeting ethic women.

Project objectives

Establishment of a seedling production sector creating increased capacity, additional income and jobs for ethic women in Moc Chau and Van Ho, with further upscaling in other areas.
More professional vegetable production resulting in better quality vegetables, produced year-round, in compliance with Viet GAP and against a better cost price generating higher incomes for over 500 famer households in Moc Chau and Van Ho and other areas in Son La province.
Establishment of 13 successful agri-businesses led and managed by women.
Creation of new and stable jobs within the agriculture sector suitable for local women.
Increased capacity of over 350 local women in technical and management skills through extension services, field days and training sessions
Accelerate the development of an inclusive, sustainable and modern horticulture production sector in Son La province
Increased cooperation between the public and private sector to develop the horticulture sector in Son La providing women more choice to beneficially engage in agriculture.