Nghe An: Farmers wait for winter crop policy

(Baonghean) - The winter crop planting season is almost over, but the Provincial People's Committee has not yet made a specific decision on winter crop support policies.

Bringing in machinery to prepare the land for winter crops. Photo: Xuan Hoang.

Mr. Hoang Van Chin - Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) worried: "We thought that the Provincial People's Committee would have a policy to support farmers to grow winter crops on land with two rice crops like last year, so the commune decided to support farmers with 20% of the seed price, an additional 100,000 VND for land preparation labor/sao and 2 million VND for households growing 2 hectares or more.

Thanks to that support policy, many farming households have boldly borrowed double-rice fields from neighbors to grow corn. Mass organizations in the commune have also accepted to grow winter crops on many double-rice fields. However, up to now, the locality has not received any notice of the province's support policy."

Mr. Le Tien Hop's family in hamlet 7, Nam Son commune (Do Luong) is actively growing winter corn. He said: In difficult winter production conditions, especially production on double-rice land, the family was happy to hear the hamlet announce that the Commune People's Committee has a policy of supporting 200,000 VND/sao for households that convert to producing green squash, cucumbers, potatoes, and eggplants of all kinds.

The commune also supports the production of high-quality vegetables on fertile land with a support level of 100,000 VND/sao. In addition, households that grow closed areas of 3 sao or more on 2-rice land will receive an additional support of 100,000 VND.

However, up to now, people have not had any information about the support policies of the district and the province. According to Mr. Hop's calculation, the cost for 1 sao of corn and vegetables, from land preparation to harvest, is 700,000 VND, but for 1 sao of green squash, it must be 2 million VND, because squash requires investment in trellis construction. If there is support for people in production costs, it will encourage farmers to be more enthusiastic about winter crops.

Mr. Nguyen To Son - Vice Chairman of Nam Son Commune People's Committee said: "The cost of winter crop production is quite high, especially when natural disasters occur continuously, many areas have to be replanted, so in addition to the commune's policy, the district and province also need to have policies to encourage and motivate people. This winter crop, the Commune People's Council has issued a resolution allocating 30 million VND from the budget to support winter crop production. In case people can plant a large area, the commune is ready to support".

This winter crop, Do Luong district strives to grow over 3,000 hectares of various crops. To encourage people, in addition to support policies from higher levels, communes and towns balance their budgets, exploit all resources to the fullest to support farmers in investing in production development, especially expanding effective models in the locality.

However, according to the investigation, although the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed the District People's Committee to support 700,000 VND/sao of corn grown on 2-rice land, by the end of September, the Do Luong District People's Committee has not yet made a decision on the support policy. And in the district, there are only 2 communes that create sources of support for people producing the winter crop, namely Nam Son and Thai Son.

Farmers in Nam Son commune, Do Luong district plant winter crops. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In Yen Thanh district, the locality always attaches importance to winter crop production, so this winter crop has a policy of supporting 30% of corn seed price for farmers who produce on land with 2 rice crops. In addition, most communes have their own support policies. The commune supports at least 20% of corn seed price, many communes also support fertilizer, land preparation labor, and protection money (Lien Thanh, Cong Thanh, Hung Thanh, Ly Thanh...), from which people are excited to produce winter crop.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lap, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there is currently no support policy for the winter crop and districts and communes will base on their own conditions to implement it for people.

According to the plan of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, this winter crop the whole province strives to plant over 40,600 hectares of various crops; 3,000 hectares of fish for the third crop and make the winter crop the main production crop of the year.

According to the synthesis of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, by September 21, the whole province had only planted 9,941 hectares of corn/plan of 24,500 hectares (reaching 40.57%).

Xuan Hoang