Nghe An farmers on the run for summer-autumn crop

(Baonghean.vn) - On the rice fields in Nhan Thanh, Vinh Thanh communes, etc., Yen Thanh district, farmers began their rice harvest, from May 20^th.

As soon as farmers in Vinh Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) harvested the spring crop, they started tillage for timely deployment of summer-autumn one.

Mr. Tran Van Tiep (Phu Dien village, Nhan Thanh commune) shared, his 4-member family harvested on a 0.5 ha (a Central Vietnam acres) field. This spring crop, they transplanted several types of rice: Thai Xuyen, Tam Thom (long-grain jasmine), Bac Thom (a kind of jasmine rice), etc. with estimated productivity being 6 tons/ha. Currently, they were sowing the seedling rice for summer-autumn crop and expecting to transplant the field 10 days later in order to avoid flood time in year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai, a farmer in Trung Hau village, said that her family’s 4 ha cultivated area were reaped from May 20^th. This spring crop they achieved high productivity which was not less than 8 tons/ha, with low costs and small number of pests.

According to Yen Thanh Office of Agriculture and Rural Development, the district’s productivity of the spring crop is estimated to 7.3 tons/ha (that of last year was 7.1 tons/ha). As anticipated, the harvest would be completed by June 5^th. Due to later cropping than previous years, this year Yen Thanh People’s Committee demanded locals to start tillage as soon as harvesting rice for timely summer-autumn crop, especially in sunken and flooded areas.

In Dien Chau, farmers began new crop from May 15^th, and were attempting to reach their target of 300 ha of seedling rice, ensuring sufficient amount for growing on the area of 8,700 ha.

In order to make sure summer-autumn crop to be processed in time, Dien Chau demanded local authorities, in association with cooperatives, to recommend their farmers use middle and short-day rice varieties (less than 110 days) such as: Thien Uu 8, SV 181, Viet Lai, NA 2, NA 9, Bac Thom and high-yield sticky rice varieties.

Dien Chau residents adopted cultivating methods which allow seedling rice to grow fast with high resistance so that cthey could start transplantation from June 10^th to June 20^th. At the same time, they were advised to farm on one-variety rice fields for summer-autumn crop and apply SRI methods for water saving and flood prevention.

This summer-autumn crop, 94,000 ha were planned to be cultivated, with summer rice spread over 52,000 ha and winter rice for the others. If so, the area for summer rice decreased by 5,000 ha, at water limited-accessing fields during farming time.

As the weather was forecasted to be dry when the crop began while raining time would come earlier, locals must focus on inspecting of lakes and dams; repairing of broken points while dredging canals, especially the drainage canals which are needed for both drought and flood control.

Reporters: Xuan Hoang - Mai Giang

Translator: Hien Nguyen