Farmers ignore warnings, sow spring crops in cold weather
(Baonghean.vn) - In the fields of Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, and Thanh Chuong districts, people have sown spring rice at this time, although the province's policy is to advise against sowing because of the high risks.
These days, it is not difficult to see people sowing spring rice in the fields of Nam Anh commune, Nam Dan district. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thoa, a resident of Nam Anh commune, said: My family planted 4 sao of rice this year, mainly hybrid rice varieties. I started sowing 2 days ago because I saw favorable weather; I have sown 3 sao now and expect to finish today (January 16).
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People in Block 8, Hung Nguyen town sow spring rice despite government's disincentives. Photo: QA |
Not only Mrs. Thoa's family but also many other households in Nam Anh commune choose to sow rice instead of covering the seedlings with plastic. According to the people, covering the seedlings takes more time, effort and manpower than sowing, so they are not "interested".
According to Mr. Tran Van Nam - an agricultural officer of Nam Anh commune: "This year, the whole commune has 350 hectares of spring rice, of which half of the area is cultivated by the people using the sowing method. Up to now, the whole commune has about 60 hectares of rice sown. However, we do not encourage this practice, we have recommended that people should spread the seedlings and cover them with plastic to ensure the safety of the seedlings, but some households still do not comply."
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Seeds when sown have difficulty surviving cold weather and are susceptible to death. Photo: QA |
This year, the entire Nam Dan district has 7,000 hectares of spring rice. The district has sent a document to the communes advising people to cultivate using the northern seedling method and ensure the correct crop schedule to avoid risks due to natural disasters.
Not only in Nam Dan district, Hung Nguyen and Thanh Chuong districts also have the situation of people sowing rice early.
In Thanh Chuong district, it is estimated that about 2,000 hectares of rice are also sown, accounting for about 25% of the total area (the whole district has 8,200 hectares of rice); mainly in Thanh Van, Ngoc Son, Thanh Tuong communes...
In Hung Nguyen district, people in communes along National Highway 46 sow rice despite warnings from these localities.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection said: This year, the whole province planted 90,000 hectares of spring rice, of which the rate of rice seedlings planted was 70%, and sowing was 30%.
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Although rice transplanting requires more steps than sowing, it helps rice plants withstand the weather and avoid risks. Photo: QA |
The policy of the agricultural sector is that in the spring, rice seedlings must be covered with plastic and planted to save water and protect the seedlings from the cold. If people sow and transplant, it will cause many risks to the seedlings and rice plants.