Farmers in Do Luong get rich from growing crops on alluvial land.

High income from growing corn

For the first time in 2023 and early 2024, farmers in Thuan Son commune (Do Luong district) introduced sweet corn varieties to the alluvial plains along the Lam River. When the sweet corn was ready for harvest (in January 2024), despite the rather cold weather and muddy field roads, the people enthusiastically mobilized manpower and machinery to harvest the corn.

Ms. Hoang Thi Loan from Thuan Phu hamlet was sorting plump, kernel-filled corn cobs, brought from the field, into prepared sacks. Ms. Loan said: “I planted over 3 sao (approximately 3,000 square meters) of sweet corn, and for the past two days, I’ve been actively harvesting and have gotten about 400 kg of fresh corn. The company buys the harvested corn right from the field, so I’m very happy; I get money immediately and also profit from the green fodder for my livestock. In a few days, we’ll cut down the corn stalks to compost and use as feed for our buffaloes and cows.”

At the sweet corn purchasing point of the company that buys produce from farmers in Thuan Son commune, besides Mrs. Loan, there are dozens of other households happily weighing their corn to receive payment. Mr. Nguyen The Ba is counting the money he just received, equivalent to 30 sacks of corn. Mr. Ba said that this is his first sweet corn crop, so he only planted one sao (approximately 1000 square meters), but next year he will expand the area for sweet corn cultivation because the economic efficiency is quite high.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Loi, Secretary of the Party Committee of Thuan Son commune, corn grown on alluvial land along the river in Thuan Son commune yields high economic efficiency. With the current purchase price of sweet corn at 4,500 - 4,800 VND/kg, each hectare yields about 5 tons, bringing people an income of about 80 million VND.

Maximizing the effectiveness of alluvial land areas.

Following the Thuận Sơn commune People's Committee officials to the alluvial plain to observe the sweet corn harvest, we met Mr. Phan Bá Chinh, who was transporting cabbage to wholesale to small traders. Mr. Chinh said that this year's sweet corn crop brought in 15 million VND. In addition, he has a regular income from growing seasonal vegetables for over a decade, and this crop provides the main source of income for his family. For the past few years, winter vegetables and fruits have yielded good harvests; gourds and pumpkins are thriving, and the green vegetables are lush and vibrant. Thanks to continuous planting, his family still has vegetables to sell during and after Tet (Lunar New Year).

Like Mr. Chinh's family, dozens of families in Thuan Son commune have gradually become more prosperous thanks to farming on the alluvial land, with many escaping poverty, such as Ms. Tran Thi Chuyen's family in Thuan Phu hamlet. Ms. Tran Thi Chuyen said that before leasing the alluvial land to invest in growing green pumpkins and cucumbers seasonally, her family was poor, and life was difficult raising three children.

“Thanks to the alluvial land, starting with 5 hectares leased for growing cucumbers and gourds, after a few years we had enough capital to expand our vegetable farming to 20 hectares, providing a sufficient supply of seasonal vegetables and fruits for the canteens of several nearby industrial zones, as well as wholesale and retail sales at local markets and supplying schools in the district. With the increased production scale, our family hired an additional 5-6 laborers to help, paying them 150-200 thousand dong per day. After deducting expenses, the alluvial land brings our family over 100 million dong each year,” Ms. Chuyen said.

Regarding the economic efficiency of the alluvial land in Thuan Son commune, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Nam stated that the total area planted with corn in the commune is 185 hectares, including 110.8 hectares of winter corn, 79 hectares of spring corn, and 10 hectares of summer corn. In addition, farmers also cultivate 50 hectares of peanuts, yielding 24 quintals/hectare, totaling 72 tons. Various vegetables such as gourds, pumpkins, cucumbers, and other leafy greens (cabbage, kohlrabi, sweet cabbage) are also grown on 32 hectares, providing a significant source of income for the farmers.

To further encourage and support people in effectively exploiting the economic potential of the alluvial plain, Thuan Son commune has been repairing canals, internal field roads, and inter-hamlet roads for many years, prioritizing routes leading to the alluvial plain area. In 2023, the upgrading and repair of the road and bridge from the Va dam to the commune's health station dike was completed with a total cost of nearly 7 billion VND; 6,806,187,000 VND; and the Khe Na canal, phase 2, 135m long, cost nearly 200 million VND.