Highlands proactively preserve varieties when hybrid rice policy no longer exists

(Baonghean) - In the highlands, before harvesting rice, people choose ripe, firm rice fields, harvest them separately, dry them, and store them in their family's granary to use as seeds for the next crop. Knowing that planting local rice varieties reduces productivity and output, this is a way for people to proactively source rice seeds, when the government no longer has a policy of subsidizing hybrid rice seeds as before.

Taking us to her family's rice warehouse, Ms. Vi Thi Ha, Na Chao village, Huu Kiem commune (Ky Son) opened 2 bags of rice seeds stored separately in the corner of the warehouse, and said: Last season, the family planted 4,000 m2 of local rice varieties. When the rice ripened, the family picked large clusters of rice with firm grains, used a foot-pedal machine to thresh them, dried them separately, and stored them as seeds for the next crop. With 2 bags of rice, about 80 kg, the family only used about 15 - 20 kg, the remaining 60 kg were sold to households that could not keep rice seeds, or exchanged them for commercial rice, creating conditions for them to have rice seeds to plant.

Ms. Ha confided: In the past, the government supported hybrid rice seeds, so the family did not have to worry about seeds every time they entered the planting season, the hybrid rice yield was also high, the rice was delicious. In the past 2 years, the government has not supported hybrid rice seeds anymore, so people have proactively stored local rice seeds for planting, instead of waiting for the government. However, being able to plant hybrid rice is more exciting. In the winter-spring season, the seedlings often die due to the effects of severe cold, so the family has to reserve a large amount of rice seeds. With 4,000 m2 of rice fields, only about 10 kg of rice seeds is enough, but the family has to store an additional 10 kg, in case they have to sow again for the second time. In early December, people start preparing the land to sow rice seeds in time for planting before Tet.

Ms. Vi Thi Ha, Na Chao village, Huu Kiem commune, is threshing rice for seeds. Photo: Xuan Hoang.

Huu Kiem commune is the locality with the largest rice cultivation area in Ky Son district, with 24 hectares, and is also the locality that applied hybrid rice cultivation the earliest in the district. Mr. Nguyen Huu Luong - Chairman of Huu Kiem commune People's Committee said: In 2016, the district's Department of Agriculture implemented the Thien Uu 8 rice production model in the commune, with an area of ​​1 hectare, in Na Chao village. There were 7 households participating in the model, the results showed that the rice yield reached 4 tons/ha, the rice quality was better than other rice varieties. Determining that this rice variety is suitable for the locality, therefore, the commune People's Committee assigned households implementing the model to submit to the commune 5 kg of rice/household (35 kg) for the commune to make rice seeds, and multiply them widely for the next crop. Therefore, this winter-spring crop, the commune reserved 35 kg of rice seeds to distribute to 5 other households in Na Luong 1 village for planting. In that way, the area of ​​pure Thien Uu 8 rice will increasingly expand in the area.

This spring crop, Huu Kiem planted 24 hectares of wet rice. In addition, the locality also submitted a proposal to the district People's Committee for permission to plant an additional 4 hectares of wet rice, because some households in Na Luong 1 village had just finished reclaiming the land. It is expected that the area of ​​Thien Uu 8 rice will reach about 15 hectares. Currently, the commune is building a road to the newly reclaimed land according to the NTM criteria, helping people to travel easily during the crop season.

This spring crop, Ky Son district planted 277 hectares of rice. The district's orientation is to minimize long-term crops, prioritize expanding the area of ​​hybrid rice varieties: Nhi Uu 986, Kinh So Uu 1955; pure rice varieties: Vat Tu NA 2, Thien Uu 8. However, due to the economic conditions of the people, most households use local rice varieties for planting. The planting of local rice varieties by the people has reduced the annual rice output of the locality by 15% compared to before. The district People's Committee has proposed to the provincial People's Committee to continue the policy of subsidizing hybrid rice varieties for planting, in order to facilitate the people to proactively plant seeds and ensure food on the spot for ethnic minorities in the highland areas.

Farmers in Ky Son dry rice seeds. Photo: Dao Tho

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Agriculture Department of Tuong Duong district said: Previously, the Provincial People's Committee supported the price of seeds and the district also used the capital of Program 30a to support the price of seeds for people to grow hybrid rice. Since then, people have approached new production methods, the area of ​​hybrid rice in the district reached over 60% (in 2014), rice productivity increased compared to growing local rice varieties. However, in the past 2 years, because the province no longer has a policy of subsidizing hybrid rice seeds according to Decision 87/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee, the area of ​​hybrid rice in the locality has decreased significantly. This spring crop, Tuong Duong planted 680 hectares, only about 25% of the area of ​​hybrid rice. However, because the price of hybrid rice seeds is quite high, most families do not have the conditions to invest, while with local rice varieties, people proactively get seeds.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, the Provincial People's Committee has stopped the policy of subsidizing hybrid rice varieties, especially in mountainous areas with many difficulties such as Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong... which are passive in production, because many people still have the mentality of waiting and relying on others. Without support for rice varieties, people have to use local rice varieties for planting. To ensure food security for people in mountainous areas, localities need to select a number of rice varieties suitable to actual conditions to guide people to plant uniformly.

Xuan Hoang