Excitement abounds at the "Going Down to the Fields Festival" in 2018.

Attending the event were comrades Nguyen Huu Nhi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, Nguyen Huu Lap - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, and representatives of the Farmers' Association.

The 2018 Rice Planting Festival, themed "For a Comprehensive and Sustainable Agricultural Development," was recognized as one of the outstanding folk cultural activities, highlighting the role of agricultural production and making a significant contribution to socio-economic development.

Therefore, the rice planting festival has been restored, maintained, and developed in many localities, having great significance both politically and culturally.

The festival was organized in a solemn and unique manner. Photo: Lam Tung

Comrade Nguyen Huu Nhi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, beats the drum to launch the 2018 "Going to the Fields" festival. Photo: Lam Tung

This year's rice planting competition attracted three teams from the Thanh Lien Farmers' Association: Lien Duc, Lien Yen, and Lien Chau. Photo: Lam Tung

The 2018 Rice Planting Festival was held in Thanh Chuong, a locality with a large agricultural land area, a people with a long tradition of production, and many mechanized cooperatives providing machinery for agricultural production. The purpose of the festival was to promote the restructuring of the agricultural sector in conjunction with the construction of new rural areas.

Following the ceremony, delegates participating in the festival had the opportunity to experience a traditional hand-planting rice competition with farmers from three teams in Thanh Lien commune: Lien Duc, Lien Chau, and Lien Yen, each team consisting of five people.

Each team is scored out of 100 points based on factors including correct planting density, straight rows, correct number of tillers per clump, and planting speed.

At the end of the competition, the Yen Duc team won first prize and received a gift of 1,500,000 VND from the organizers, while the other two teams won second prize.

The judges inspect the teams' performances. Photo: Lam Tung

Demonstrating the rice transplanter at the competition. Photo: Lam Tung

First prize awarded to the German team. Photo: Lam Tung

Delivering a guiding speech at the ceremony, Comrade Nguyen Huu Nhi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, called on all cadres, members and farmers of the province to continue to uphold traditions, unite, be dynamic and creative, and improve their skills, knowledge and production abilities. He urged Party committees, government agencies, mass organizations, and businesses to continue to support and create favorable conditions in terms of mechanisms and policies so that farmers have the intelligence and strength to accelerate the restructuring of the agricultural sector, linked with building new, modern, and civilized rural areas.

On behalf of the Party Committee, the government, and all the people, Mr. Le Dinh Thanh - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong district - officially assigned responsibility to agencies, departments, and communes in the area to strictly implement the seasonal schedule, predict and forecast weather and pest outbreaks, maintain and repair machinery, and ensure a good supply of seeds and technical support so that people can confidently engage in production.

Gifts were presented to 100 impoverished farming households in Thanh Lien commune. Photo: Lam Tung

On this occasion, the Provincial Farmers' Association, in coordination with Phu Sinh Fertilizer Company (Quynh Luu), presented 100 gift packages to 100 impoverished farmer members in Thanh Lien commune. Each gift package consisted of 25 kg of fertilizer per household. Although the gift is small, it serves as encouragement and support for the farmers to return to the fields and invest in intensive farming in preparation for a successful 2018 harvest.