In the communes of the Điện Biên basin, production activities are taking place urgently these days. On fields of mustard greens, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and tomatoes, farmers are taking advantage of harvesting the old batch and sowing the new batch to timely serve the year-end market.

Leading us to visit the vegetable garden, Vũ Đình Cử, from Việt Thanh village, Thanh Nưa commune, shared that his family grows 1,200m2 of winter vegetables. Right from the beginning of the crop, the family proactively prepared the soil and selected varieties suitable for the weather and market demand. To have vegetables to sell at the right time, they have to calculate the season very carefully, planting staggered batches to harvest evenly. In addition, his family also focuses on care in a safe direction, limiting the use of plant protection drugs.

Currently, farmers are focusing on planting short-term, easy-to-consume vegetables such as cabbage, napa cabbage, kohlrabi, tomatoes, and onions to supply central markets, supermarkets, and collective kitchens. Many households link up in cooperative groups and cooperatives to unify the season and production process, ensuring uniform output and quality for the Tet market. Along with expanding the area, food safety is of special interest to vegetable growers. Concentrated production areas promote the application of VietGAP processes, using organic fertilizers and biological plant protection drugs, and complying with pre-harvest isolation times. Recording production logs and traceability is being implemented step by step, contributing to improving the reputation and value of Điện Biên green vegetable products on the market.

Typically, the Noong Luống General Agricultural Cooperative cultivates over 3.4ha of vegetables of various types such as pumpkin, tomato, and runner beans, with an annual harvest output reaching about 700 tons. Thanks to organizing scientific staggered vegetable planting, the cooperative always maintains a continuous source of harvested vegetables, meeting market demand. Especially at the end of the year, the cooperative proactively adjusts the season and strengthens care so that vegetables can be harvested right on the Tết occasion, ensuring output, quality, and economic value for members.

Nguyễn Xuân Huy, Director of the Noong Luống General Agricultural Cooperative, said that besides expanding the area and arranging reasonable seasons, the cooperative focuses on applying science and technology to production. Members are trained and guided on safe farming processes, using high-quality varieties, organic fertilizers, and biological plant protection drugs. The cooperative applies water-saving irrigation systems, plastic mulch, and net houses to limit pests and diseases, reduce costs, and increase productivity. Recording production logs and strictly controlling stages from sowing to harvesting helps vegetable products ensure quality and safety, meeting the increasingly high requirements of the market, especially at the end of the year.

In the 2025 winter crop, Điện Biên province cultivates about 1,438ha of vegetables and crops of various types, with an expected average yield of over 184 quintals/ha and an estimated output of about 26,500 tons. To complete this plan, localities have proactively prepared full seeds and agricultural materials, while expanding the area of net houses and shelters to minimize the impact of adverse weather. The specialized sector strengthens technical guidance, recommending farmers apply measures to protect crops against severe cold and heavy rain. Currently, people focus on sowing and caring for vegetables in areas with favorable conditions regarding water sources and transport, with a diverse crop structure, prioritizing short-term, easy-to-consume vegetables.

Besides advantages, winter vegetable production in Điện Biên still faces many difficulties and challenges. Weather developments are complex; prolonged severe cold and harmful cold or unseasonal rain can slow growth, generate pests and diseases, and affect vegetable productivity and quality. The prices of fertilizers, seeds, and plant protection drugs have increased, making farmers’ investment costs increasingly large, while the consumption market is not really stable, and prices fluctuate according to the time. In addition, in some areas, infrastructure serving production such as irrigation systems, net houses, and membrane houses is still lacking, not meeting the requirements for developing concentrated, large-scale vegetable production applying high technology.

According to Chu Thị Thanh Xuân, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, to sustainably develop green vegetable production serving the year-end market, the province identifies promoting value chain linkages from production to consumption. Linking production with enterprises and distribution systems will help stabilize output and limit risks for vegetable growers. At the same time, the province encourages the application of science and technology, investing in production infrastructure, and step-by-step forming concentrated commodity vegetable areas with brands, meeting the increasingly high requirements of the market.

With the proactiveness of farmers and cooperatives and the close guidance of the agricultural sector, winter vegetable production in the province is deployed synchronously and effectively. The supply of green vegetables serving the market during the 2026 Tết holiday is forecast to meet the people’s consumption demand well.