Efforts to ensure food security!

(Baonghean) - Although not a land with favorable weather and terrain for agricultural production, for many years, Quy Hop has been proactive in terms of output, ensuring local food security. In the winter-spring crop of 2013 - 2014, the bold introduction of new rice varieties to replace the old, gradually degenerating varieties has brought about outstanding rice output and quality.

Having listened to Mr. Hoang Van Thai - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quy Hop share about the positive changes of the last spring crop, creating momentum for the 2014 summer-autumn crop, but having to personally walk on the fields that are in the urgent planting season, one can fully appreciate the joy of a good harvest of farmers who have worked hard in the sun and dew... Walking and fertilizing nearly 2 hectares of rice that are in the green rooting stage after planting, Mr. Vi Van Nghi (Van village, Bac Son commune) could not hide his joy: "The winter-spring crop was a great success, averaging 72 - 75 quintals/ha. In this mountainous area of ​​Bac Son, the rice yield is a "record"... Thanks to the Kinh So Uu 1588 variety, our whole village planted this variety, last season was the same and this season is the same!"

Mr. Truong Xuan Toan (Minh Quang hamlet, Minh Hop) checks the water level in the field.

The Kinh So Uu 1588 rice variety that Mr. Vi Van Nghi mentioned with great admiration is the main rice variety in the district's variety set this year, aiming to promote the application of scientific and technological advances in production, perfecting the variety set with high productivity and quality, and coping with increasingly severe climate change. Kinh So Uu 1588 is actually not too unfamiliar to farmers here, because in order to prepare for a strong shift to sowing this rice variety on more than 80% of the cultivated area of ​​the whole district in the spring crop of 2014, the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed the testing many times on a number of areas, in different locations and cultivation conditions. Compared with the old varieties PHB71 and Nhi Uu 838, Kinh So Uu 1588 has a shorter growing period (125 days), suitable for 2 crops/year production and favorable for winter crop production in some communes in Quy Hop. On the other hand, this new variety has high resistance to pests and diseases, good cold tolerance, and low lodging rate in adverse weather conditions. That is the assessment of the rice plant, and when the rice has filled the barns and stalls, the farmers have a practical comment in their daily meals, "The rice grains are white, firm, the rice is soft, has a rich sweet aroma and importantly, is less likely to be chalky" - Mr. Vi Van Nghi shared, and did not forget the hospitality of the Thai people, inviting guests from far away to their home for dinner.

Farmers in Phu Quy are inherently reluctant to change and update new features in agricultural production. In order to change the seasonal mindset that is somewhat unable to keep up with the adverse changes in natural conditions, the government and related levels and sectors had to take drastic actions. This new set of rice varieties was selected from many rice varieties that had been previously tested in the district. Before 2011, there were about 12 types of rice varieties included in the set, leading to an inadequacy in the local variety structure. Now, only 3 types of varieties, with the main one being Kinh So Uu 1588, are planted on 80% of the total cultivated area of ​​more than 2,600 hectares, with an average yield of 86 quintals/hectare. Mr. Hoang Van Thai - Head of the District's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: "Speaking of rice varieties, since 1996, the majority of Quy Hop people have been familiar with the Nhi Uu 838 variety. At that time, Nhi Uu 838 was most suitable for the soil and cultivation characteristics, but after 18 years, the Nhi Uu 838 variety has gradually degenerated... Meanwhile, the new variety set, the main one being Kinh So Uu 1588, has more suitable characteristics, but people's thinking is still inherent, afraid of risks, and unwilling to experiment. It took a lot of effort to propagate, mobilize, organize field workshops to evaluate the actual quality of varieties, conferences to learn experiences in growing new rice varieties... gradually, farmers were certified and followed!" In addition to propaganda and mobilization, the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also advised the district People's Committee on supporting 50% of the seed cost for farmers, even committing to compensate the value of agricultural products equivalent to the market price in case of risk or loss due to using new seeds.

A series of support policies both materially and spiritually have helped farmers feel more secure when producing with new varieties, changing their agricultural thinking. While the people of Van village, Bac Son commune, planted Kinh So Uu 1588 in the winter-spring crop of 2013 - 2014 and received encouraging results, in Minh Hop commune, this summer-autumn crop of 2014, Kinh So Uu 1588 has just been chosen by farmers. On the green fields of young rice, we met Mr. Truong Xuan Toan (Minh Quang hamlet, Minh Hop) who was checking the water level in his field. When asked about old and new varieties, he confided: “The commune and district have also promoted a lot, but last spring crop, we were still hesitant, hesitant because we had never done it before, so we were afraid of risks, so we just planted the familiar variety. Moreover, the price of Kinh So Uu 1588 variety was more than 40,000 VND/kg higher than the old variety Nhi Uu 838, so at first everyone was hesitant. Now it's good, seeing that our commune has made a new variety with much higher yield, plus the district's policy of supporting seed money, we'll do it this crop!”

Article and photos:Phuong Chi