Nghe An: Millet farmers earn 40 million VND/ha

(Baonghean.vn) - Taking advantage of the potential of fertile alluvial land along the Lam River, farmers in the flood-hit area of ​​Hung Nhan (Hung Nguyen) have introduced high-yield millet into summer-autumn production. Each hectare of millet can earn 40 million VND after only 3 months of planting.

Millet has been planted by the people of Hung Nhan flood-prone commune on the alluvial land along the Lam River for a long time. However, in the past, people mainly planted it in small batches by intercropping on both sides of spring peanut rows with traditional low-yield millet varieties. Each household had five or seven rows, and the product was 5-7 kg of millet seeds, mainly to serve the needs of making millet cakes, millet porridge, and millet tea for the family.

Hung Nhan commune officials inspect millet fields. Photo: Thanh Tam

To increase productivity and switch to producing royal millet, in recent years, Hung Nhan commune has sought to introduce a new millet variety with large flowers, many grains, and a yield of 2-2.2 quintals/sao of planting to replace the traditional millet variety.

Previously, farmers mainly produced spring millet, not summer-autumn crop. To effectively exploit the potential of fertile alluvial land along the Lam River, Hung Nhan built a model field for millet production.

First, mobilize party members and cadres to set an example, then propagate for households to participate in production. At first, only 5-10 hectares were used. After a few trial crops, seeing that millet production in the summer-autumn crop was effective, many households boldly planted it on a large scale.

The 2017 summer-autumn crop millet yield is expected to reach 2.2 quintals/sao. Photo: Thanh Tam

"Growing millet, you don't have to worry about selling the product because traders come to your house to buy it for 2 million VND/quintal. Each hectare of millet can bring in 40 - 45 million VND," said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tu, a farmer in hamlet 4, Hung Nhan commune.

Although it has only been put into mass cultivation for the past 5-6 years, millet has affirmed its value on the Hung Nhan alluvial land. From the initial pilot planting models, most hamlets have now put millet into summer-autumn production and it has become the main crop bringing in significant income for the people.

In the summer-autumn crop of 2017, Hung Nhan's millet area reached more than 50 hectares. Mr. Tran Cong Hoan - Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Nhan commune said: "Compared to other crops, millet is very easy to grow, low investment but high yield, farmers are very excited. In the following years, Hung Nhan will continue to expand the millet area. In 2018, Hung Nhan is expected to sow about 70 hectares of summer-autumn millet."

With the potential of 140 hectares of alluvial land along the Lam River, Hung Nhan farmers can expand the area in the following years because this is a crop that is drought-resistant and flood-resistant./.

Thanh Tam