Old farmers in Thanh Chuong turn floating fields into hundred million rice fields

On the family motorboat bought for farming nearly 25 years ago, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (My Chua village, Thanh Tien commune) took us to visit the floating land that he and two other households in the village had worked hard to reclaim for farming.

Looking far away, covering the entire area of ​​land floating in the middle of the river, he said: “Our house is at the river mouth, where the Giang River, Con River and Lam River meet. Every time the flood season passes, the water recedes, a strip of alluvial soil emerges in the middle of the river, season after season, it is built up wider and longer. Reeds grow densely, forming a solid wall, keeping the fertile soil from being washed away. I realized that this land would be very suitable for growing crops. However, no one dares to risk planting crops in the middle of that vast river, because just one heavy rain would wash everything away…”

After many sleepless nights, Mr. Binh still felt sorry to let the land go to waste. So, starting in 2000, he drove his buffalo, carried his plow onto the boat, rowed to the other side of the field, laid the first furrows to clear the reeds and weeds and sowed the seeds of corn, potatoes, cassava...

“At that time, everyone tried to stop me, saying I was crazy and reckless. The land was floating, and if the water rose, everything would be submerged, and all my efforts would be in vain. But if I didn’t take the risk, if I didn’t try, how would I know if I would gain or lose?” Mr. Binh recalled.

And as many people expected, in the first crop, due to late planting and long-term varieties, when the potatoes and corn had not yet been harvested, the flood came and he lost everything.

But, that time taught him that, when planting on alluvial land, one must find a way to avoid flooding; on the other hand, one must find a way to retain alluvium after each rainy season. Therefore, starting from February of the solar calendar, he plowed the land, choosing to plant short-term varieties to harvest before the rainy season. Around the cultivated land, he let reeds and reeds grow densely to retain alluvium and not let it be washed away by heavy rains.

“Alluvial land can only be cultivated once, harvested before the storm. The alluvial soil is fertile, so it only needs plowing, making beds, sowing seeds, not fertilizing, and does not require much care. Furthermore, each season a new layer of alluvial soil is deposited, so there are few pests and diseases. In particular, the productivity of crops is always outstanding. Initially, it was only a few sao, now I have reclaimed 3 mau of land there. In peak years, growing corn, potatoes, beans... also earned 180-200 million VND from alluvial land,” said Mr. Binh.

In addition to Mr. Binh, in My Chua village, there are two other households, Mr. Tran Van Ta and Mr. Nguyen Van Vuong, who have also exploited the alluvial land for decades. Currently, each household cultivates 1.5-2 hectares of alluvial land, mainly growing hybrid corn, sweet potatoes, beans, and peanuts, bringing in an annual income of 150-250 million VND/household.

Originally fishermen, living on the river, after coming ashore, to have more means of production, they boldly reclaimed land, knowing how to turn natural disadvantages into fertile land with stable income.

“This season, the river water is high and the peak of the flood season is approaching, so we are letting the land rest. After January, we will start to plow the land and plant seeds. Cultivating alluvial land is very leisurely, requires little investment, little care and fertilization, but the income is very good. The difficulty is the distance, to get to the alluvial land, you have to go by motorboat,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Vuong.

Currently, farming households in the alluvial plain have bought motorboats and invested in winches to transport agricultural products from the alluvial plain after each harvest season. Thanks to the exploitation of the alluvial land potential, households have escaped poverty, become well-off, and raised their children to study and succeed.

Mr. Duong Dac Thang, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thanh Tien Commune, said: "The three households in My Chua hamlet are members who dare to think and dare to do. They boldly exploit wasteland, turning natural disadvantages into effective means of production. Every time the rainy season passes, for them, there is more alluvial land for production, more fertile land, more productive corn, potatoes, and beans, and higher income..."