Quynh Luu farmers mobilize nearly 3,000 water pumps for summer-autumn production

The entire An Hoa commune has more than 50 hectares in Dong Cau and Trieng Chua areas belonging to But Linh and Toan Thang cooperatives, which always face difficulties in water resources because they are located at the end of irrigation canals. Therefore, at the beginning of the production season, especially the summer-autumn crop, people try to save every drop of water to bring into the fields.

Farmers in An Hoa commune, Quynh Luu district are actively pumping water into their fields to plant the summer-autumn crop in time. Photo: Hong Dien

Mr. Vu Duy Bang, Minh Tien hamlet said: My family has 4 sao of rice fields in the Dong Cau highlands. Every year, at this time of year, in order to plant rice, my family has to work hard day and night to direct water from the source to the small canal. However, due to limited water resources, the water level in the canal is low, while the foot of the rice field is high, so it is very difficult to bring water to the fields.

This year, I invested nearly 2 million VND to buy a mini gasoline pump, along with an 80-meter water hose. During this season, the pump must operate regularly, which is very expensive. It is estimated that to have water for one sao of rice field for planting, the family must spend up to 200,000 VND, including gasoline and labor costs.

Similarly, Mrs. Ho Thi Mai’s family in Hamlet 3, Quynh Lam Commune has 2 sao of land in an area where it is difficult to get water. During this season, she often has to use a water pump that operates day and night to draw water from small ditches into the fields. Because it has to run continuously, the pump quickly breaks down, so every year she has to invest in buying a new water pump.

The weather is hot, so when the water is enough to cover the rice fields, Ms. Mai hires machinery to pound the soil and build high banks to retain water and plant in time, avoiding water evaporation which makes it difficult to plant.

It is estimated that to have water for one sao of rice field, people have to spend up to 200,000 VND including gas and labor costs. Photo: Hong Dien

Quynh Lam commune has 700 hectares of summer-autumn rice production, of which only 100 hectares have water from the Nong Giang river that can be directly irrigated into the fields. According to Mr. Ho Ngoc Truong - Vice Chairman of Quynh Lam commune People's Committee, the remaining 600 hectares have to use gasoline water pumps to self-supply water for production. The whole commune currently has more than 1,000 mini water pumps invested by the people to pump water for planting.

In Quynh Luu district, there are some communes at the end of the water source of the Do Luong bar system - the main water supply point to the area; such as: An Hoa, Quynh Lam, Quynh Hoa, Quynh My, Quynh Thanh...

In the prolonged hot weather conditions, communes at the end of the canal suffered from local water shortages in some areas.

People equip themselves with water hoses tens of meters, even hundreds of meters long, so they can pump water into their fields anywhere if there is a stored water source. Photo: Hong Dien

Although, at this time, agricultural service cooperatives in the above localities have invested in purchasing large capacity water pumps and assigned people to continuously pump water, the amount of water still cannot meet the needs of people in production.

In order to proactively supply water for cultivation in hundreds of hectares of rice fields that are always in a state of drought this season, up to now, people in the above 5 communes have invested in purchasing nearly 3,000 mini gasoline-powered pumps and long water hose systems tens, even hundreds of meters long to pump water from stored water sources (canals, ditches, depressions...) to the fields.

After pumping water into the fields, people hired machines to prepare the land and plant crops in time. Photo: Hong Dien

At this time, local authorities, sectors, cooperatives and people are focusing on mobilizing machinery to pump water, and at the same time digging and filling damaged sections of canal banks to avoid leakage and water loss; in order to cover the rice growing area in this mountainous area in the next few days; ensuring progress according to the crop schedule./.