When farmers "break the rules" and plant their crops.

(Baonghean) - This spring, in some localities such as Do Luong, Dien Chau, and Yen Thanh, many farmers are still "breaking the rules" and sowing rice seedlings ahead of the scheduled planting season.

According to the "Organization of Spring Crop Production in 2014" plan of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the beginning of spring in 2014 was on February 4th, 2014 (the 5th day of the Lunar New Year of the Horse). Based on this, depending on the growth time of each variety and the actual conditions of the locality, the planting and sowing schedule should be arranged appropriately, ensuring that the rice panicles differentiate and flower during suitable weather conditions. Based on the growth time of each variety, the sowing and transplanting schedule should be arranged to ensure that the spring rice flowers concentrically from April 25th to May 5th; absolutely no early transplanting is allowed to avoid the rice flowering during the late season.

However, in reality, many localities have disregarded the planting schedule and sown rice seedlings more than 20 days earlier than planned. For example, in Yen Thanh district, specifically in the communes of Khanh Thanh, Lien Thanh, and Cong Thanh, and in Dien Chau district, including the communes of Dien Thai and Dien Dong, farmers started planting rice seedlings as early as the 16th day of the lunar month before the Lunar New Year, and by the 20th-22nd of the first lunar month, they had basically finished transplanting. By the correct planting schedule of February 4th, 2014 (the 5th day of the Year of the Horse), the rice plants had already taken root and turned green across the fields. When asked about this, many farmers casually replied, "We planted early to enjoy the spring and celebrate the New Year."

When asked why local authorities in some communes allowed farmers to sow seeds early, the commune leaders explained: The commune had implemented the agricultural sector's planting schedule and advised farmers to sow seeds according to the schedule to reduce production risks, but the farmers still did not comply. The reason is that people here have a habit of farming according to local customs. In Do Luong district, in most areas planned for sowing and planting, over 60% of the spring rice area in 2014 was sown directly by farmers. According to a village head in Yen Son commune, Do Luong district, farmers in Do Luong have long preferred sowing directly, as it is easier and saves labor and effort in transplanting.

The failure to adhere to the planting schedule, coupled with unfavorable weather conditions, has caused significant damage to the people, as is evident to everyone. For example, in the spring of 2011 and 2012 in Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, and Do Luong districts, many rice fields bloomed during the cold spell, resulting in shriveled and empty grains, causing heavy losses for farmers. In 2013, the entire province had 8,000 hectares of BC15 rice variety, of which 5,000 hectares suffered severe damage due to the variety's "sensitivity to cold weather." Farmers planted this rice variety without adhering to the planting schedule, allowing it to bloom during the cold spell, thus suffering the consequences.

Some local officials, despite being advised, did not strengthen supervision and guidance of production. Meanwhile, farmers continued to work in a "every man for himself" manner, not adhering to the seasonal schedule.

King Tran