HOA AN BIODIVERSITY – APPLICATION – RESEARCH CENTER
Hoa An center’s development has six main stages as following
Stage 1 (1976 – 1980): Establishing Youth Union School of Hau Giang province
Base on decision No.150/QD.UB.76 of People’s Committee of Cantho province date May 15th, 1976, the area of 370 hectares first were managed and used by Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Cantho Province Group. Afterwards, a row of five classrooms was built, canals were dug in order to wash alum, pineapple and sugar-cane were plant on the area of 7 hectares, and soil was prepared to grow rice. Yet, there were only pineapple and sugar-cane which could survive on this acid sulphate soil (ASS) for several years. In addition, their yield was not high due to lack of understanding about this kind of soil.
Stage 2 (1980 – 1984): Researching acid sulphate soil
The center, during this period, was called “VH-10 Research and Acid Sulphate Soil Use Station”. On October 10th, 1980, Cantho province signed the decision No.488.UBT.80 so as to allot 60 hectares of 370 hectares managed by the Communist Youth Union (CYU) to Cantho University (CTU) which needed the area to do research for a co-operation program between Vietnam and Holland (VH-10). At this time, a group of staff appointed by CTU monitored progress of building the Research Station while the staff of CYU returned to Cantho province because they had no plan to carry out. Therefore, the area managed by this group had no use. The Research Station’s main budget to operate was from the VH-10 program and CTU. To basic building, there was a polder with dyke and irrigation system in bad conditions. There were also results of ASS scientific research.
Stage 3 (1984 – 1990): Agriculture Production State Farm
Up to 1984, Cantho province promulgated the decision No.65.UBT.84 to temporarily allot the area of 310 hectares managed by CYU to CTU. This area was not used for over 4 years (from 1980 to 1984), so 65 hectares of its total area was reclaimed by some landless farmers during the period. They mainly used the land to grow winter rice crop, but the crop’s yield was low and unstable. In this stage, CTU invested to improve farming system as well as dig more cannels and develop irrigation infrastructures using to water and wash alum. Consequently, some areas of the land could nourish two rice crops per year. Moreover, the yield increased but was still low at 3.5 ton per hectare in average. The farmers’ households reclaiming land before were given jobs and some ones ask the Station for work. Local people called the Station as “VH-10 State Farm” due to those special activities. Its main budget came from CTU.
Stage 4 (1990 – 2004): Farming System Research and Community Development Station
- Cantho province signed the decision No.QD.UBT.90 date February 17th, 1990 to allot officially the total area of 370 hectares, which Cantho province allot to CYU before, to CTU.
- In 1992, there was a change in the goals of the Research Station. The new goals focused on research, training, and community development. CTU’s Management Board and Party Committee directed the center’s Management Board to pass the area of 310 hectares, which the Research Station received in 1984, to Hoa An village’s local government in order to allocate for local people. CTU just kept the reserved area of ASS for teaching and training. On September 18th, 1992, the statement on land transfer was singed among these ones.
- In July, 1993, a new Management Board was appointed to reach the new goals. On December 5th, 1994, the branch of Land Management of Cantho province measured the current area of the Station, which was 115.75 hectares including the swampy area of 43 hectares. Furthermore, Cantho province promulgated the decision No.3530.QD.UBT.94 to allot all that area to CTU.
- People’s Committee of Cantho province (the old one) issued the right of land use No.00017 to CTU with the total area of 112.31 hectares on November 22nd, 2003.
- In this stage, it is called “Farming System research station” or Hoa An station belonging to Mekong Delta Farming System Research and Develoment Institute. Its main activities were research on sustainable farming system based on ASS, scientific technique transfer, and poverty reduction for community around the Station.
Stage 5 (2004 - 2011): Establishing Hoa An Research - Application - Biodiversity center
CTU promulgated the decision No.487/QD-DHCT.TCCB to establish Hoa An Biodiversity – Application – Research center known as Hoa An center on June 25th, 2004. It is a unit of CTU which was separated from Farming System Development and Research Institute (Mekong Delta Development and Research Institute today).
Hoa An center was established to meet the teaching and researching demands of CTU up to 2020. Hoa An Center undertakes research, practice and accommodation of CTU staff and students.
Stage 6 (2011 until now): A directly-under unit of College of Rural Development
Hoa An Research - Application - Biodiversity center was a unit directly under the management of College of Rural Development on July 1st, 2011.