Potential for tourism development combined with production and processing of local lotus products

Lotus is an aquatic plant that is easy to grow, requires little care, and the initial investment cost is not too high. In particular, lotus is a perennial plant, only needs to be planted once to be harvested for 10-15 years. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hoai - one of the pioneers in converting this model and also a member participating in the Farmer Innovation Award organized by the Provincial Farmers' Union, compared to rice cultivation, lotus cultivation brings 2-4 times higher profits.

Specifically, with 1 hectare of rice land, each crop only harvests about 6,000 kg, the average rice price is about 10,000 VND/kg, earning about 60 million VND/ha/crop. Meanwhile, lotus can be harvested after 6 months. On average, each harvest reaches 300 - 400 kg/ha (including seeds, leaves, flowers, shoots, tubers). Total revenue from lotus reaches about 120 - 150 million VND/ha/year, much higher than rice cultivation. 

In addition to income from lotus products, households also combine fish farming models under lotus canopies, helping to control the water environment while taking advantage of natural food sources, reducing farming costs. Thanks to that, this model not only brings high economic value but also contributes to sustainable development. 

In order to encourage farmers to change their production model, local authorities have supported the provision of high-quality lotus seeds, ensuring productivity, providing technical guidance on planting, caring for lotus and raising fish, supporting fertilizers, pesticides, and technical advice on detecting and preventing pests and diseases on lotus.

In addition, the lotus growing model has also been expanded to the field of ecotourism services. Some households have combined lotus growing with photography services and sightseeing experiences, helping to promote the image of lotus flowers and increase the value of the product. Visitors coming here can not only admire lotus flowers and take photos, but also buy fresh lotus flowers, lotus shoots, lotus seeds, and lotus roots as gifts. This form helps diversify income sources and improve people's lives.

The conversion of ineffective rice fields to lotus cultivation combined with fish farming and ecotourism has opened up a new direction for farmers in Hoai Chau commune. This model not only effectively exploits land potential, increases economic value per unit area but also contributes to environmental protection and beautifies the countryside landscape. At the same time, this is also one of the important solutions to help successfully implement the agricultural restructuring program associated with new rural construction in the locality.