Yen Thanh is determined to achieve a bountiful spring harvest.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the spring air was still vibrant, with a light drizzle like sifted powder. But throughout the countryside of Yen Thanh district, farmers were eagerly heading to the fields, diligently sowing and planting the spring rice crop in hope for a bountiful harvest.

InIn Nam Thanh commune, many rice fields are covered in the green of young rice seedlings. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga from Loc Thanh hamlet, Nam Thanh, who is planting rice in the Ca Nghe field, said: "My family cultivates 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares) of rice fields, planting early spring rice on the 3rd day of Tet (Lunar New Year), mainly using the Khai Phong I hybrid variety. During Tet, there was severe cold weather, but my family covered the seedlings with plastic sheeting according to the instructions, so the seedlings were all healthy when transplanted to the field."

"Based on experience, years with prolonged severe cold weather at the beginning of the season usually result in a successful spring crop. The weather warms up even during the Lunar New Year, and our whole family has to go down to the fields to race against time. We witnessed many households even bringing sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng and bánh tét) to eat for lunch right in the fields so they could make the most of their time planting rice."

Mr. Phan The Trung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Thanh commune, said: This spring, Nam Thanh is planting rice on over 263 hectares, and so far, the commune has planted over 60% of the area. Although the weather has been unpredictable and cold, thanks to training and recommendations for farmers to use plastic sheeting to cover seedlings, most of the young seedlings have not died from the cold.

Right from the beginning of the spring planting season, Nam Thanh mobilized its people to dredge canals and ditches, removing nearly 10,000 cubic meters of mud. In particular, they dredged over 6,000 cubic meters of mud from the Roc San canal in Phan Dang Luu hamlet. Thanks to the active land consolidation, the fields in Nam Thanh have become large plots, facilitating mechanization. The land is plowed promptly using multi-functional plows, allowing for drying, soaking in water, and liming to kill disease-causing pathogens.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duong, Deputy Head of the Agriculture Department of Yen Thanh District, added: This spring, Yen Thanh planted 13,400 hectares of rice, of which about 9,500 hectares were planted with key varieties, including varieties such as Khai Phong I... and 3,900 hectares of purebred rice varieties such as BC15, Khang Dan 18, and AC5. Notably, a new purebred rice variety, PC 19, was introduced. This variety has high yield, good resistance to pests and diseases, fragrant and delicious rice, and a higher selling price compared to other rice varieties.

From the second day of the Lunar New Year, the district established teams, mainly consisting of officials from the Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Extension, to go to the grassroots level to inspect and guide farmers in planting. 100% of the communes followed the province's planting schedule correctly, and the seedlings grew well, with no deaths due to the cold. To date, no commune in Yen Thanh has needed to prepare reserve seedlings; 100% of the communes have prepared seedlings centrally and implemented measures to protect them from the cold, such as covering them with plastic sheeting, using wood ash to spread on the seedlings, draining water during the day, and flooding the fields at night to warm the seedlings.

The district has structured the types of rice varieties to suit each type of land, continuing to test and produce high-quality rice varieties such as Q ưu 12, Thái Xuyên 111, and building production models for GS9 and Xuyên Hương 178 rice varieties...

The Yen Thanh Irrigation Enterprise has successfully fulfilled its task of providing irrigation water for farmers planting spring rice. From the beginning of the season, the Yen Thanh Irrigation Enterprise maintained and repaired sections of irrigation canals N21, N6 (Ke Sat), N5, N18, N27A, and N16A. Furthermore, the District People's Committee mobilized local people to dredge over 30,000 cubic meters of mud and soil, ensuring the canals are clear. Three communes have completed land consolidation according to the new rural development criteria: Lang Thanh, Dong Thanh, and Phu Thanh. Most communes have received investment in irrigation and the repair of internal field roads, facilitating rice planting and cultivation.

To date, Yen Thanh district has planted over 7,000 hectares, and farmers are racing against the planting schedule to ensure a bountiful spring harvest.

Van Truong