Rice season in the highlands of Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - These days, ethnic minorities in the Ky Son highlands have begun to worship their fields to enter the new rice harvest. The rice grains that were sent into the ground, after much hard work, have now become golden grains on the steep mountainside.
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| October is when the rice ripens and the harvest season begins. Photo: Huu Vi |
Every year, when the rice on the fields is ripe, it is also the time when the family of Moong Pho Dung, a Khmu ethnic group in Pha Khao village, Pha Danh commune, Ky Son district, slaughters pigs and chickens to worship the "field ghosts" and the gods who control the mountains and forests. According to Dung, the Khmu believe that these are the gods who have protected and cared for their fields since they first planted seeds in the ground.
The rice field worshiping ceremony is one of the largest outdoor traditional beliefs held by the Khmu people before the rice harvest. This custom can also be called the rice begging custom of the people. In addition, through the custom, it also shows solidarity and mutual support in the work of harvesting the fruits of a hard-working rice field season. According to Mr. Dung, with 40kg of rice seeds, this season his family is expected to harvest approximately 2 tons of rice.
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| People often help each other during harvest season. Photo: Lu Phu |
In the Pha Khom village area, also in Pha Danh commune, after the field worship, Mrs. Ven Me Nhun's family has also started harvesting rice. Mrs. Nhun said: This year, her family sowed more than 40 kg of rice seeds, however, due to heavy rain, 1/3 of the rice area that her family planted at the beginning of the season was eroded and filled with soil. But fortunately, the rice in the remaining area grew very well, so it is likely that her family will not go hungry this year.
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| Local rice varieties are very popular among ethnic minority communities in Ky Son. Photo: Lu Phu |
As for Mr. Moong Pho Chau, Huoi Tong village, Keng Du commune, his family has 6 mouths to feed, so every year his family sows 60 kg of rice seeds, averaging 3 tons of rice each harvest.
Mr. Chau said that although in recent years, the Party and the State have had many policies to support and encourage people to change their crop and livestock structure to gradually reduce the area of swidden fields, people still reserve their own land on the mountains to grow upland rice. According to the people's concept, preserving upland rice is also preserving the soul of the Kho Mu people. Those who are descendants of the Kho Mu people must be responsible for preserving this traditional farming method and crop.
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| Shaman Thanh Hai performs a ceremony to worship a family before harvesting. Photo: Huu Vi |
According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district, every year ethnic minorities in the mountainous district of Ky Son cultivate approximately 7,000 hectares of upland rice, equivalent to 1.3 tons of rice per hectare after harvest. This is the main food crop of ethnic minorities in the mountainous district of Ky Son, contributing significantly to ensuring food for the people every year.
