Greenhouses are used to limit the impacts of weather changes for agricultural productivity, ensuring the supply of agricultural products throughout the year.
The province has around 4,500 hectares of plastic greenhouses and 1,222 hectares of net houses, including Da Lat city’s 2,800 hectares which accounts for more than 60 percent of the total area of greenhouses in the province . The city has 1,244 ha of vegetable farms and 1,590 ha of flower farms.
However, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the growth of the glasshouse sector has damaged the public spaces and urban beauty and caused flood because the rainfall is unable to infiltrate into soil showing decline of groundwater levels.
According to the provincial Plant Production and Protection Department, around 70 percent of the greenhouses has not met construction standards. It also can not prevent the risk and spread of plant viruses. Farmers use pesticides to protect crops from insect pests, weeds and diseases but they are not interested in the amounts of pesticides that are used for farming and the residues are found in soil, water and air.
Head of the Plant Production and Protection Department of Lam Dong province, Lai The Hung said that the department has suggested the provincial People’s Committee to launch structural requirements used for building agricultural greenhouses, such as drainage system, tree planting area, types of vegetables and flowers.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Mong Sinh, former chairman of Lam Dong province Union of Science and Technology Associations stressed the city should plan the agricultural production area, vegetable and flower-growing zones; move current greenhouses from the city’s center to suburban areas as well as ensure the gardeners’ living income.
