Voters in Con Cuong district have requested a soil assessment in Thach Ngan commune to facilitate crop restructuring.

Reply:

On March 13, 2022, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development established a working group to directly work with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Con Cuong district and the People's Committee of Thach Ngan commune regarding the voters' request.

After the meeting, the working group and the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the leaders of the Commune People's Committee, agreed on the following points:

Acacia plantation in Thach Son village, Thach Ngan commune. Photo courtesy of KL.

Regarding the current status of agricultural land use in Thach Ngan commune, Con Cuong district:

The total area of ​​agricultural land in Thach Ngan commune, Con Cuong district is 914 hectares. Of which:

- Area of ​​land used for rice cultivation: 244 hectares.

- Area of ​​land for other annual crops: 614 hectares, including: Main crops currently grown such as: Cassava 215 hectares, sugarcane 45 hectares, corn 30 hectares, various vegetables 12 hectares, fodder grass 9.5 hectares, peanuts 2.5 hectares, sesame 5 hectares, and over 209 hectares of land currently planted with acacia trees.

- Area planted with perennial crops: 56 hectares (Current crops include: lychee, longan, mango, orange, pomelo, guava, etc.).

Regarding the current state of land and crops in the proposed conversion area:

- The total area of ​​land for annual crop production that voters proposed to convert is 73 hectares, including 40 hectares in Thanh Binh village, 18 hectares in Khe Dong, and 15 hectares in Thach Tien.

- Current crop status on the proposed conversion area: Cassava 50 ha, sugarcane 15 ha, and corn 8 ha.

- Economic efficiency of crops:

+ Cassava: Average yield reached 25 tons/ha (26.8 tons/ha for the whole province), total income was 42,500,000 VND/ha, and profit was 26,500,000 VND/ha.

+ Sugarcane: Average yield reached 61 tons/ha (60 tons/ha for the whole province), total income was 61,000,000 VND/ha, and profit was 36,500,000 VND/ha.

+ Corn (2 crops/year): Average yield 4 tons/ha (4.6 tons/ha for the whole province), total income 30,000,000 VND/ha, profit earned 16,600,000 VND/ha/crop.

* Regarding the characteristics, soil properties, climate, irrigation conditions, and farming practices of the land area proposed for conversion:

- The proposed land area for conversion is 73 hectares, of which 58 hectares are sandy loam and 15 hectares are red basalt soil.

- Thach Ngan commune is one of the three communes in Con Cuong district that frequently experience drought. Annual rainfall is unevenly distributed, mainly concentrated in September and October; there is no irrigation system, and irrigation water depends on rainwater.

- The workforce in these villages mainly consists of elderly people, with young workers having left to work elsewhere. Farming practices are based on the traditional methods of the villagers, and the application of technical processes is limited.

* Reasons why voters requested the conversion:

- Sugarcane prices have dropped sharply in previous years, and the sugar factory's payment method to farmers has been slow (payments are only made in May each year).

- The level of intensive farming practices among farmers is not high, and cassava mosaic disease has caused severe damage, reducing yields compared to previous years.

- The workforce in agricultural production is mainly composed of elderly people, whose ability to apply technical measures is limited.

Officials from Thach Ngan commune instruct Dan Lai residents on techniques for growing high-yield corn. (Photo: KL)

Based on the current land use and agricultural land situation in Thach Ngan commune, the working group, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the leaders of the commune's People's Committee reached a consensus on the following points::

- Based on the soil characteristics, climate, irrigation, farming practices, and agricultural labor force in the locality, cassava and sugarcane are currently the two most suitable crops for the commune to restructure in this area.

Currently, these two crops are being fully purchased by processing plants, ensuring stable output for farmers. However, to achieve high economic efficiency in this area for sugarcane and cassava, the local authorities need to focus on guiding farmers to use new, disease-free sugarcane and cassava varieties, invest in planting and caring for them according to proper technical procedures, especially investing in sufficient fertilizer and effectively controlling cassava mosaic disease...

- Working with sugar and cassava starch processing plants to receive technical support on cultivation, purchasing disease-free seeds, and buying raw materials from farmers at reasonable prices with prompt payment, ensuring farmers earn a profit for reinvestment in production.

- Assessing the soil conditions of agricultural land to serve as a basis for crop restructuring is essential to enhance production efficiency per unit area.

+ For rice cultivation, agricultural maps have been developed to support intensive farming, crop restructuring, and sustainable land resource management in rice-growing areas of Nghe An province. Therefore, it is requested that the People's Committee of Thach Ngan commune and the People's Committee of Con Cuong district review and guide people in converting the crop structure on rice land to improve production efficiency.

+ In 2020-2021, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue projects on developing and expanding the area of ​​fruit trees associated with processing and product consumption in Nghe An province for the period 2021-2030; projects on developing key agricultural products of Nghe An province for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030; and to identify land zoning for the development of key products and strong fruit trees. This land fund is currently being integrated into the provincial planning to serve production.

However, soil assessments in the province have only been conducted on rice paddy land and a small area of ​​fruit-growing land in some key districts. Assessments for other agricultural land types have not yet been carried out due to the significant cost and the time and resources required.

Therefore, in the coming period, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will coordinate with other departments, agencies, and the People's Committees of the districts to advise on integrating resources to carry out the implementation.

We request that the People's Committee of Con Cuong District consider allocating funds to organize an assessment of agricultural land in Thach Ngan commune, as a basis for converting the current crop structure which is ineffective.