In the process of urbanisation, developing green agriculture in urban spaces is gradually becoming a trend to bring a clean, safe food supply, while creating green space for families and protecting the environment.

The hydroponic lettuce garden on the rooftop of Mr. Le Quang Trung’s house in Thanh Khe Tay Ward, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang is a source of clean vegetable food for his family, and for sales to increase income. Photo: N.Q

Spread green lifestyle

Desperate for poison-free food, Da Nang residents are taking matters into their own green fingers. Mr. Le Quang Trung, a resident in Thanh Khe Tay Ward, Thanh Khe District, starts new day with taking care of and enjoying the green space between rows of hydroponic lettuce and the geoculture melon on the rooftop.

Since his retirement in 2019, Mr. Trung spent more than VND10 million building an irrigation system and a net cover on the balcony with an area of about 100m² to plant trees. The garden is divided into two separate areas: one side for growing hydroponic lettuce and the other for geoculture fruit and vegetables to avoid the spread of pests.

Currently, the hydroponic lettuce garden is growing well. Besides serving his family’s demand, every 10 days, Mr. Trung harvests his vegetables and collects nearly VND1 million from sales. A honeydew melon is sold on the market for VND 50,000 - VND 70,000.

In order for vegetables and fruits to grow well, in addition to using synthetic fertilizers, he composts organic fertilizer from leftover fruit and vegetables from the kitchen to fertilize the plants.

“Looking at fruit and vegetables growing well, I am very happy that my efforts have been paid off. In addition to ensuring a clean vegetable supply and creating a green - clean - beautiful space, turning kitchen waste into organic fertilizer for plants significantly contributes to environmental protection. In particular, some people in the city have been instructed by me on how to grow and care for fruit and vegetable crops on the rooftop and have successfully applied it in many families.”, said Mr. Trung.

Meanwhile, the movement of growing fruit, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants on the balcony is quite developed in Cam Le District.

On the rooftop of about 50m² owned by Ms. Dinh Thi Luc's family in Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le Fistrict is a fruit garden with varieties such as tomatoes, grapes, custard apple, guava, cherry, gourd, gourd, beans, corn, lettuce and other vegetable.

Ms. Luc said that after COVID-19, she and her husband bought seedlings and fertilizer, and built a net system to create a small garden to provide clean fruit and vegetables for family meals. She joined groups about growing trees on rooftops and balconies to learn how to plant, male organic fertilize, and care for crops.

To overcome the pest problem, she used a mixture of pureed chili, garlic, and ginger mixed with wine to water the plants every 10 days. In addition, using synthetic fertilizers made from a mixture of protein, eggs and organic waste such as leftover fruit and vegetables in the kitchen for irrigation helps fruit and vegetable gardens develop well.

Similarly, on the rooftop of Mr. Do Van Thanh's house in Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le District, in addition to a sprouts and lettuce garden, there is a fish tank with support from the Da Nang Biotechnology Centre/ After four months of farming, the fish in the tank grow quite well, becoming a local food source for Thanh’s family.

On the approximately 50m2 rooftop of Ms. Dinh Thi Luc's house in Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le District, there is a garden growing many types of vegetables. Photo: N.Q

Encourage and support urban 'farmers'

Rooftop farms offer other benefits in addition to safe and healthy food. These gardens help create bonds among neighbours who work together to cultivate their crops.

According to Ms. Hua Thi Thuy Phuong, Chairwoman of the Cam Le District Farmers' Association, in the district, there are nearly 20 households growing flowers, ornamental plants, fruit and vegetables effectively on their houses’ rooftops.

In the coming time, her agency will coordinate with the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to open training classes on growing vegetables and ornamental plants on the rooftop so as to equip local residents with skills and techniques.

For families in need,  the agency will support them in terms of the technology transfer to develop green agricultural models in urban spaces. Also, seedlings and fertilizer will be donated to families that need to develop rooftop agriculture.

According to Chairman of the Da Nang Farmers' Association Nguyen Huu Thiet, the movement of green farming on rooftops has become an inevitable trend as the urbanisation process is developing strongly and the area of agricultural land is increasingly shrinking, thereby contributing to creating a space in harmony with the environment and providing clean food for urban inhabitants.

However, when gardening on the rooftops, people need to pay attention to the load-bearing structure of the building, having a design suitable for the house, the surrounding community landscape and preventing damage and falls during the rainy and stormy season.

In order for the movement to continue to develop, the Da Nang Farmers' Association will direct relebamy agencies to run training sessions, donate seedlings and fertilizer, along with technology transfer, to households in need of rooftop farming.

Reporting by NGOC QUOC – Translating by A.THU