Farmers in Nghe An are busy harvesting the spring rice crop throughout the holiday.
During the April 30th - May 1st holiday, farmers in Nghe An province took advantage of favorable weather to harvest their spring rice crop. Despite a bumper harvest, many localities proactively harvested early to avoid storms, but concerns about falling rice prices remain.
Harvesting spring rice while avoiding thunderstorms and strong winds.
While many people are taking a break from work, in the fields of Nghe An province, farmers are still busy harvesting the spring rice crop. Taking advantage of favorable weather, they are racing against time, staying in their fields amidst the urgent atmosphere of the harvest season, both excited about the bountiful harvest and apprehensive about the unpredictable changes in the weather.
At this time of year, many rice fields are adorned with the golden hue of ripe rice. In Tang Thanh hamlet (Yen Thanh commune), combine harvesters are operating continuously, harvesting each plot of land quickly and efficiently.
Mr. Nguyen Van Long said that this spring, his family cultivated nearly 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of rice, with a yield of nearly 4 quintals per sao. However, due to unpredictable weather, the family proactively harvested early to avoid losses caused by storms and strong winds.
Thanks to synchronized infrastructure and concentrated, contiguous farming plots, the introduction of machinery into production in Yen Thanh commune is easier, helping to shorten the harvesting time. However, due to the impact of the recent storm, some rice fields in low-lying areas have been flattened. Many households are still proactively harvesting early when the rice is only about 85-90% ripe, following the principle of "better to harvest early than late" to minimize risks.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Trung, Head of the Economic Department of Yen Thanh commune, the entire commune has more than 1,600 hectares of spring rice, and so far over 25% of the area has been harvested, with an expected yield of about 7.2 tons/ha. Low-lying areas such as Nhan Thanh and Hoa Thanh hamlets are also harvesting simultaneously.
In addition, this year's rice variety structure is considered reasonable, with high-quality varieties such as TBR 225, Gia Loc 9, Thai Xuyen 111, etc., contributing to improved yield and quality. To support farmers, the locality has proactively mobilized harvesting machines and worked in advance with machine owners to stabilize prices and avoid price increases during the peak harvest season.
In Hop Minh commune, which has a large area of low-lying land, the damage caused by the storm was also quite significant. Ms. Le Thi Minh, a farmer from Hamlet 7, said that almost all of her family's rice crop was flattened, so they had to harvest it manually before it was fully ripe.
In less affected areas, people are still using combine harvesters to speed up the process. According to Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, a specialist from the Economic Department of Hop Minh Commune People's Committee, the entire commune planted over 1,900 hectares of rice, of which about 200 hectares were flattened by storms. To date, the locality has harvested over 20% of the area.”
Spring rice crop is bountiful, but there are concerns about falling prices.
In Quang Chau commune, the rice harvest continues at a rapid pace even during the holiday. Harvesters are working at full capacity, taking advantage of favorable weather to quickly and efficiently harvest the ripe rice crop.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, a farmer from Dien Thai hamlet, said that this year's rice yield is about 3.7 quintals per sao (approximately 370 kg per 1000 square meters). However, his family still harvests the rice when it is only about 95% ripe to avoid weather risks.
According to Mr. Tuan, rice prices this year are lower than last year. Currently, traders are buying rice directly from the fields at only about 650,000 VND/quintal, compared to about 850,000 VND/quintal last year. Meanwhile, production costs such as seeds, fertilizers, and machinery rental have all increased, resulting in lower income than expected.
According to Ms. Dinh Thi Trang, Head of the Economic Department of Quang Chau commune, the entire commune has 1,424 hectares of spring rice, of which about 400 hectares have been harvested so far, including nearly 100 hectares that were flattened by storms. The average yield is expected to reach about 7.1 tons/ha.”
According to Ms. Trang, local authorities are mobilizing all available machinery and manpower to harvest quickly and minimize losses. However, the drop in rice prices coupled with rising input costs is a major challenge at present.
"The prices of agricultural supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, and labor have all increased, but the price of rice has decreased, resulting in low economic efficiency. This could affect the morale of farmers in the upcoming summer-autumn crop season, and there is even a risk that some areas will be abandoned if timely solutions are not implemented," she said.
Overall, this year's spring rice crop in Nghe An province has yielded positive results in terms of productivity and quality. The province planted over 90,000 hectares of rice, and more than 20% has been harvested so far, with an estimated average yield of approximately 6.9 tons/ha.
Local agricultural representatives stated that favorable weather conditions and the use of high-quality rice varieties such as TBR 225, Thai Xuyen, Duong Uu, VNR20, Nep 97, Nep 98… have contributed to improved production efficiency. In addition, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment has directed localities to implement the principle of "harvesting and preparing the land simultaneously," ensuring good preparation for the next production season and adherence to the planting schedule.
Despite lingering concerns about the weather, the joy of a bountiful harvest is evident on the farmers' faces. The ripening rice fields and trucks loaded with rice are proof of a successful harvest, further motivating them to remain committed to farming.
