Dien Chau peanut season

(Baonghean)After nearly 4 months of planting, nearly 3,200 hectares of spring peanuts in Dien Chau district have begun to be harvested. Despite unfavorable weather conditions and drought, according to local people, this is a relatively good peanut crop.

We returned to Dien Ky commune (Dien Chau) - a place known as "the never-ending field", under the 370C sun, it was almost noon but both farmers and traders were busy harvesting and trading peanuts at the foot of the field. Ms. Cao Thi Hoan, village 4, Dien Ky commune, happily said: This crop, my family planted 4 sao of peanuts of L14 and L20 varieties, which grew very well, and so far have yielded large, firm tubers. Yesterday, the family harvested the first sao of peanuts, yielding 3 quintals of fresh peanuts, sold right in the field at 11,000 VND/kg, paid immediately. It is expected that all 4 sao of peanuts will yield 1.2 tons of fresh peanuts, selling for about 13 million VND.

Ms. Ngo Thi Mai's family in village 4 is also harvesting 5 sao of peanuts, with a yield of 3 quintals of fresh peanuts/sao. "This year, we have been able to harvest and sell as soon as possible, saving farmers money on transportation and drying. We have time to quickly clear the fields to continue growing summer-autumn watermelons. With the field price of 11,000 VND/kg of fresh peanuts, my family's 5 sao of peanuts earns more than 15 million VND," Ms. Mai shared.



Farmers in Dien Ky commune harvest peanuts.

Mr. Ngo Ba Tuan - Chairman of Dien Ky Commune Agricultural Cooperative said: The whole commune has 100 hectares of color production, of which 80 hectares are covered with 100% plastic. This spring crop has less rainfall than the average year, and the cold weather has lasted longer than previous years, so it was thought that peanuts would face difficulties. However, with many years of experience in intensive production, Dien Ky farmers are very careful in taking care of their crops. Up to now, the whole commune has harvested more than 50% of the peanut area, with an average yield of 2.8 tons/ha, especially in some areas reaching 3.6 - 3.7 tons/ha; the total output of the whole commune is expected to reach 216 tons of dried peanuts, with a total value of about 4.4 billion VND. This year, it is favorable for people to harvest and sell fresh peanuts right in the field, reducing transportation costs, drying and preservation costs, and selling at a higher price, so in general, people are very excited. In addition to peanuts, people also grow melons for an income of 7 million VND/sao. Local people value the land very much, producing all year round without letting the land rest. The whole commune has 45 hectares of high-income fields, with an average income of 230 million VND/ha/year by rotating crops: winter-spring melons, summer-autumn melons, commercial corn and other vegetables...

Down to Dien Hung commune - a coastal commune of Dien Chau district. This locality grows more than 200 hectares of peanuts that are starting to be harvested, under the harsh sun of the early summer weather, but everyone's face is filled with joy when the peanuts are in season. Mr. Phan Duc Luong - Chairman of Dien Hung Commune People's Committee said: This spring crop, Dien Hung farmers mainly grow peanut varieties L14, L26, Sen Nghe An. Up to now, about 20% of the area has been harvested, with an average yield of over 1.2 quintals of dry peanuts/sao. Currently, people are focusing on harvesting peanuts to quickly deploy sesame, watermelon, and green beans for the summer-autumn season.

Mr. Phan Xuan Vinh - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Dien Chau district commented: This year's spring crop had unfavorable weather, with a lot of sunshine and drought, and the peanut flowering period was dry, so the yield was not as high as last year. However, in general, the peanut crop was still good, with an average yield of about 5.2 tons/ha. With nearly 3,200 hectares of peanuts, the total harvest of Dien Chau district was about 15,000 tons of peanuts; farmers are currently focusing on harvesting peanuts to urgently produce the summer-autumn crop.

Quynh Lan