Economy

Rice planters in Nghe An are in high demand during hot weather.

Huy Thu • June 17, 2025 16:22

The weather is hot and sunny, making rice planting in the fields quite arduous. Even with wages of nearly half a million dong per day, many farming households still cannot hire people to plant rice.

These days, localities throughout the province are entering the summer-autumn rice planting season. In Thanh Chuong district, farmers in many areas have simultaneously gone to the fields to plant rice. The planting season takes place amidst hot weather, posing many difficulties for farmers. They must both avoid the sun and plant quickly to prevent the fields from drying out, while finding skilled planters is also challenging. (Photo: Huy Thu)

During the rice planting season, women in localities that are not producing the summer-autumn crop or have already finished sowing rice take advantage of the opportunity to plant rice seedlings to earn extra income. They go in groups of 3-5 people. Planting rice for hire is quite enjoyable; in some villages, dozens of women work as rice planters. Photo: Huy Thu

Nowadays, rice transplanters are quite versatile; if the homeowner hasn't prepared the seedlings, they can still both pull up seedlings and transplant them. Many transplanters also take on other tasks such as farming, fertilizing the rice before transplanting, or spraying herbicides and snailicides... Photo: Huy Thu

A woman from My Son commune, Do Luong district, who was planting rice for Mr. Tran Dinh Manh's family in Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district, said that her group of five people had been working as hired rice planters in Dong Van commune for three days now. Because the work was far away, everyone had to wake up at 5 am, eat, and prepare to leave. They ate lunch at the house where they worked. The wages for the rice planting were agreed upon by both parties. Photo: Huy Thu

During hot days, rice planters usually equip themselves with quite complete personal protective equipment, from hats, caps, boots, heat-resistant shirts, etc. Photo: Huy Thu

According to the women who work as rice planters, to be hired to plant rice, one must be healthy enough to wade through the fields, plant quickly, be enthusiastic, and be able to meet the requirements and expectations of the landowner regarding the methods and techniques of rice planting, such as planting densely, sparsely, in large quantities, or in strips... Photo: Huy Thu

In the rice fields of Thanh Chuong district, currently in the summer-autumn planting season, one can find rice planters from within the district, as well as many groups from Do Luong and Nam Dan districts... Although planters have flocked from all over, the simultaneous planting by local communities, with everyone working in the fields, still makes it difficult to find workers. Photo: Huy Thu

A rice transplanter from Kim Bang commune, currently working as a hired transplanter in Xuan Duong commune, said: "Farmers who need their fields transplanted usually find transplanters through acquaintances, social media, or directly at markets or along roads... Due to a labor shortage, many groups of transplanters this season have been booked by farmers many days in advance." (Photo: Huy Thu)

A woman from Truong Linh hamlet, Xuan Duong commune, Thanh Chuong district, said that her family cultivates 9 sao (approximately 0.9 hectares) of rice fields, and since the sowing is finished this season, she is taking advantage of the opportunity to transplant rice seedlings for other villagers to earn money. Many women in the hamlet also work as hired rice transplanters like her. Photo: Huy Thu

According to the rice planters, working as hired rice planters during hot weather is quite arduous; the sun is blazing, and the fields are muddy... On peak hot days, they have to start work early to finish early. In the afternoon, they may work late and finish late to ensure they have the health to work as hired rice planters for extended periods. Photo: Huy Thu

The daily wage for rice planters in Thanh Chuong district, excluding lunch, ranges from 350,000 to 400,000 VND. Although working in the rice fields is hard and arduous, these diligent and hardworking women earn a decent income to cover their expenses. (Photo: Huy Thu)

Rice planters in the rice-planting season. Video: Huy Thu

Huy Thu