Farmers in Nghe An are enthusiastically engaged in production at the beginning of the new year.

Fishermen embark on their first fishing trip of the new year.

According to local fishermen, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year is considered an auspicious day for setting sail, and with favorable weather conditions at sea, many boat owners embark on their first trip of the new year to bring good luck.

Fishermen in the coastal communes of Dien Chau district mainly use small boats to catch seafood, so they operate close to shore. From the evening of the 3rd day of Tet (Lunar New Year), Dien Chau fishermen begin their first fishing trip of the year, returning to the port by noon on the 4th day after a night of fishing. Due to the nature of fishing near the shore and the short fishing time, the seafood, mainly shrimp, squid, mantis shrimp, and various types of fish, is fresh and live, making it popular with customers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, the owner of a fishing boat in Ngoc Bich commune (Dien Chau district), said that his first fishing trip of the year yielded 300 kg of various seafood, bringing in about 9 million VND. Some boats caught 200-300 kg of scad, not including other seafood. With scad selling at 20,000 VND/kg, this first trip of the year brought in over 10 million VND. Among the seafood items popular with customers at the beginning of the year are shrimp, squid... especially scad (or potato fish), which is highly sought after. Even at 130,000 VND/kg, it's still hard to find because the catch is limited.

According to local fishermen, many customers who have returned from the city to their hometowns for Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations are coming directly to the fishing port to buy fresh seafood, so the prices of shrimp, squid, and fish are higher than before Tet.

However, according to the Lach Van Fishing Port Management Board, on the 4th day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the number of fishermen going out to sea for the first time of the year was not large, with only about 10 boats, so the catch was not high. On the 6th day of Tet, most fishermen in Dien Chau went out to sea simultaneously, and the catch was higher.

For fishermen operating large-capacity fishing vessels in localities such as Quynh Luu and Hoang Mai town, the last fishing trip of the year, although not highly profitable, still yielded a considerable amount of seafood. In the early days of the new year, even before going out to sea, most fishermen chose auspicious times and days to start their engines, leave the port, make a round trip out to sea, and then return.

Fisherman Tran Ho Suu, owner of the fishing boat NA 96686 TS in Phu Nghia commune (Quynh Luu district), said that because the fishing profession involves being at sea year-round, they don't rush to go out to sea at the beginning of the new year, but only go out to mark the auspicious day. During these first days of the new year, the crew members participate in festivals, sports competitions, etc., so they can "kick off" the first fishing trip of the year on the 8th day of the first lunar month, or after the 15th day of the first lunar month.

According to the Lach Quen Fishing Port Management Board (Quynh Luu), with the belief that the first fishing trip of the year must be successful, offshore fishermen choose the most suitable time to set sail. Therefore, in these first days of the new year, they are not in a hurry to go out to sea, but are taking the time to carefully prepare their fishing gear and equipment, so that every time they set sail, they will be successful.

Going to the fields to take care of the spring crops.

In most localities throughout the province, from the lowlands to the mountainous areas, farmers went to the fields on the morning of the 4th day of Tet to take care of their spring crops.

In early spring, Mr. Phan Duc Thien from Hamlet 2, Lien Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh District), along with many other villagers, went to the fields to check the embankments and replant rice seedlings. Mr. Thien shared: "This spring, my family planted 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares) of rice on two adjacent plots. Before Tet (Lunar New Year), we sowed the seeds in mid-December. Right after Tet, we mobilized manpower to the fields to weed out densely planted areas, replant in sparse areas and fill in gaps caused by rat damage. After that, we applied fertilizer to help the rice plants grow."

“Although the spring rice crop experienced cold weather during planting, the weather was favorable afterward, so the rice grew well, yielding high productivity and good quality. This is the main production season of the year, so the family focuses on timely and proper care to achieve the highest possible yield,” said Mr. Phan Duc Thien.

In the fields of Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Do Luong, and Quynh Luu districts, the atmosphere of starting production for the new year is equally bustling. Besides focusing on thinning and replanting rice seedlings, farmers are also checking for pests and diseases and regulating water appropriately. Local authorities in areas with cash crops such as Quynh Luu and Dien Chau are also directing farmers to harvest winter crops when they reach maturity; and to focus on caring for green vegetable crops to supply the market after Tet (Lunar New Year).

Mr. Ho Ba Chinh, a farmer from Hamlet 7, Minh Luong Commune (Quynh Luu District), said that although vegetable prices dropped sharply before Tet, his family harvested 2 acres of cabbage and then turned to preparing the land to plant spring onions, which they will supply to the market in March.

“As a coastal area specializing in vegetable farming, even if prices fall, our family still rotates the crop immediately after harvesting. With spring onions, which take 45 days to grow and harvest, we can have multiple harvests each year. In previous years, we usually sold them at a good price during the summer, so we hope that after this price drop, prices will rise again,” said Mr. Ho Ba Chinh.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, stated: The province's target for food production in 2025 is approximately 1.2 million tons; of which, the Spring crop of 2025 must strive to achieve 695,500 tons. Accordingly, the entire province aims to plant 91,000 hectares of rice, 19,300 hectares of corn, 9,500 hectares of peanuts, and 12,500 hectares of various vegetables…

To achieve that goal, right from the first day of the Lunar New Year, under the guidance of local authorities, farmers everywhere went to the fields to compete in agricultural production. Among these, the crops receiving the most focused attention are the care of the spring rice crop and the production of winter crops.

This year, drought is predicted, so farmers and the irrigation sector in the province are closely monitoring the growth of rice and other crops to take timely measures to improve production.