New terraced fields in the highlands of Ky Son
(Baonghean.vn) - Many families of ethnic minorities in the remote district of Ky Son (Nghe An) have changed their production mindset after reclaiming terraced fields to grow wet rice, gradually reducing the area of upland rice.
In early August, in the rice fields of Noong De village and Pa Ca village of Nam Can commune (Ky Son), many clusters ofterraced fieldsstill printed with the color of new soil, surrounded by carefully fenced forest trees and barbed wire, running along the trail is a water pipe extending from the forest down.
Mr. Ven Van Vinh - Secretary of the Pa Ca village Party Cell, is one of 6 households in the village that have just reclaimed rice fields. He excitedly said: Along with many households in the village, in 2021, his family rented an excavator to reclaim 4,000m2The terraced fields cost 35 million VND. To have water for rice cultivation, the family bought hundreds of meters of water pipes for another 10 million VND to bring water from the source to the bottom of the fields. Thanks to that, the family grows 2 rice crops each year smoothly. Last spring, the family harvested 30 bags of rice, about 1.2 tons. That much rice is not only enough food for the whole family to eat all year round but also used to make food for the livestock.
“In the past, farming rice had to be done by climbing many mountains, which was very hard, but the yield was not much because it depended on nature. Since reclaiming wet rice, the whole family has ensured food, and also promoted livestock farming,” Mr. Ven Van Vinh shared, adding: In 2021, 6 households in the village reclaimed 19,000m2Wet rice fields. Thanks to the investment in water pipes from the source to the fields, the fields always have enough water, the rice grows well, and gives high yields, especially new hybrid rice varieties.
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Mr. Ven Van Vinh - Party cell secretary of Pa Ca village, Nam Can commune said that to have irrigation water after reclaiming land, the family had to invest tens of millions of dong to draw water from the source to the fields. Photo: Q.An. |
Mr. Lau Ba Chay - Chairman of Nam Can Commune People's Committee said that in the past 2 years, people in the commune have gradually shifted from agricultural productionupland riceto reclaim and restore land, make terraced fields for wet rice cultivation. Accordingly, people in the villages in the commune proactively hire excavators to go to the land along the streams and streams to level and create terraced fields, and grow wet rice twice a year. According to the reports of the villages, from 2020 to now, the whole commune has had nearly 50 households reclaiming and expanding the area of wet rice land, with an area of more than 10 hectares, bringing the total area of wet rice land of the commune from 15 hectares to 25 hectares. Among them, many households reclaimed from 4,000 - 6,000m2field
The fact that people reclaim terraced fields to grow wet rice, first of all, changes the production mindset from growing upland rice completely dependent on nature, low productivity, causing soil erosion and deforestation... to wet rice production with human investment and care. Wet rice production yields from 4 tons/ha or more, while upland rice only reaches 1.4 tons/ha. Therefore, when people produce wet rice, it will ensure food security and create conditions for livestock development...
In Huu Kiem commune, the ethnic people here have also reclaimed quite a lot of wet rice fields in recent years. Many households who did not know how to grow wet rice, thanks to reclaiming land, have become familiar with rice cultivation.
Mr. La Van Ha - Chairman of the People's Committee of Huu Kiem Commune said: In recent years, people in many villages in the commune have invested in renting machines to reclaim wet rice fields along streams. It is worth mentioning that among them are households of the Khmu ethnic group who did not know how to incubate, sow rice, plant rice... but after receiving guidance from the commune's agricultural officials, they have now become familiar with wet rice cultivation, each crop yielding dozens of bags of rice from reclaiming wet rice fields. Thanks to the people reclaiming the fields, the local wet rice area has increased from 23 hectares to 30 hectares in the past 2 years. Along with that, the upland rice area has decreased significantly, many upland rice areas of the people in the past have now developed into natural forests.
It is worth mentioning that among them are Khmu ethnic households who did not know how to incubate, sow rice, plant rice... but after receiving guidance from the commune's agricultural officers, they have now become familiar with wet rice cultivation, each crop yielding dozens of bags of rice from reclaimed wet rice fields.
According to data from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district, from 2020 to now, ethnic minorities in the district have actively reclaimed land for wet rice cultivation, so the area of rice land is increasingly larger. In 2020, the whole district had 740 hectares of wet rice fields, but now it has increased to 800 hectares. Meanwhile, upland rice has decreased from 7,353 hectares (in 2020) to 5,900 hectares (in 2021).
Mr. Nguyen Sy Son - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district said that the reason for the decline in upland rice in recent years is partly due to young workers going to work far away, so the elderly and children rarely do upland rice; partly due to people reclaiming wet rice fields to produce 2 rice crops/year for high productivity, so they gradually abandon upland rice. This is also the district's policy in propagating and mobilizing people to reclaim wet rice fields, in order to ensure food security and limit deforestation.
It is necessary for highlanders to invest in reclaiming rice fields because it solves many problems. However, to reclaim thousands of square meters of land,2In order to reclaim the land, people have to hire machines to level the land, build embankments, etc., along with investing in water pipes from the source to the foot of the fields, which costs tens of millions of dong. Therefore, according to the people's recommendations, the State needs to have support policies to motivate people to continue reclaiming the land.
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Terraced fields of the Khmu people in Keng Du commune (Ky Son). Photo: Dao Tho |
A representative of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district said that the district currently has no support policy for the people. When Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period is implemented, the district will allocate resources to support people in reclaiming rice fields./.
