Renting out fields, Nghe An farmers become salaried workers

Previously, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy (Quang Thai hamlet, Trung Phuc Cuong commune, Nam Dan) had 2.5 sao of land contracted from the commune for cultivation. The land was sandy and poor, so she grew corn, peanuts, sesame... but the economic efficiency was not high. After the contract period, she returned the land to the commune and went to work as a garment worker in factories in the area. However, as she shared, working as a garment worker at an old age, "stiff legs, stiff hands" so the work productivity was not high, the products were few so the income was unstable, and she had to leave early and come home late, work in shifts, so she neglected her housework.

Starting from 2022, when a business came to rent 5% of the commune's land to produce clean agriculture with an area of ​​nearly 15 hectares; to serve production, the business hired workers, dozens of farmers in Quang Thai hamlet were hired. Farming work was familiar, hard-working, and diligent, so the women quickly adapted.

“Weeding, harvesting chili, putting cassava tops on trellises, making beds, making trellises… like I used to do for my family’s fields. But the difference is that now I am a worker for them, working 8 hours a day, getting paid monthly. The income is stable and I don’t have to worry about good or bad harvests. Especially, I can still be attached to the fields, with the farming work that has been familiar to me for decades, and still take care of the housework,” Thuy said excitedly.

Not only Ms. Thuy but also dozens of farmers in Quang Thai hamlet have become workers in their own fields. Working 8 hours a day, the wages are 200,000 - 250,000 VND/day, working close to home, stable income so everyone is excited.

“The job is stable, every month anyone who works hard will have 30 working days, receive a salary of 6-7.5 million/month, can receive at the end of the month, weekly or in advance. Working as a factory worker is flexible, working shifts so there is no time to do housework, but working as a field worker, I still have time to raise chickens and pigs; take care of my rice fields…”, said Ms. Le Thi Thiet, Quang Thai hamlet.

29 hectares of Bac Giang alluvial land in Trung Phuc Cuong commune, which used to only produce one crop and was left fallow, are now being leased by local people to a sugar company for 200,000 VND/sao/year.

“Leasing land to businesses with clear contracts means farmers don’t have to worry about losing their means of production. In addition, when they grow sugarcane on a large area and need a lot of labor, the workers in the commune become their workers, from planting, caring to harvesting, so the work rotates all year round. Most of them work on a daily wage or on a contracted area,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Trung Phuc Cuong Commune.

Passing by the Da field (in Nghi Hoa ward, Cua Lo town) which was previously abandoned, with reeds taller than a person, it has now become a prosperous farm, with workers working diligently. Most of them are farmers nearly 60 years old, the owners of these fields.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Truong, a farmer in Block 2, Nghi Hoa, excitedly said: “My family has 1.5 sao of land. Previously, on this area, we grew all kinds of rice, corn, and potatoes, but it didn't work out, so we left it fallow for 4-5 years. In 2021, I and other households contributed land to a high-tech agricultural cooperative to rent for 15 years (we received the land rental fee in advance). After renting the land, I was hired to work for them with a salary of 5-7 million VND/month. Not only me, but other farmers in the block were also hired as workers, with stable salaries, days off, and welfare, so we are very excited."

Currently, many large-scale fields have been formed in the province. From there, it attracts business owners and cooperatives to rent, organize production according to the chain link, and increase the value of agricultural products.

This approach brings double benefits. On the one hand, it overcomes the situation of abandoned production land due to lack of labor and inefficiency; on the other hand, when people lease land, they have both a source of income and local jobs, contributing to improving the efficiency of the growing area. In particular, people can keep their agricultural land, not have to leave their hometown, and have a stable income on their own land.