Currently, localities in the province are in the winter-spring harvest of 2022-2023. Rice and corn farmers get good profits because they have a good season and a good price.
Farmers at Tan Binh commune, Vinh Cuu district harvest rice
In addition to favorable weather factors, winter-spring crops grow well thanks to a guaranteed water source during the peak heat period.
The victorious crop
According to rice and corn farmers, the yield of winter-spring corns and rice in the crop year of 2022-2023 is high thanks to favorable weather for these crops growing.
Mr. Nguyen Hung Cuong, Deputy Head of the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dinh Quan district said that crops in the district grew well in the winter-spring crop of 2022-2023. In the production season, although some pests and diseases appeared on crops, the district's Division of Agriculture and Rural Development had issued documents to guide people on prevention measures as well as timely handling and minimizing the effects of pests and diseases affecting crop yield. The locality was also interested in checking the supply of irrigation water for agricultural production in some fields in the district. The production crop in this year, the water source was guaranteed for production activities.
Farmers are more excited when the price of rice and corn in the harvest season reaches a higher level than it was last years. Mr. Le Ngoc Hai, a rice farmer at Tan Binh commune (Vinh Cuu district) happily boasted that this harvest, the price of normal rice and fragrant rice both increased over the same period last year. Productivity was also better, so farmers were expecting the harvest reaching a good season and a good price.
Corn farmers are also assured to invest in the production crop because the selling price of corns is also higher than every year, said Mr. Nong Van Quy, a farmer at Dong Minh hamlet, Lang Minh commune (Xuan Loc district) said that, in this crop, 1.5 hectares of his family's land have been converted to corn to collect seeds. This year, corns for seeds were expensive, so most local farmers focus on growing corns for seeds. However, farmers were also very flexible in harvesting, although planting corn varieties to collect seeds, but depending on the situation, in case the corns sold at a better price, farmers would harvest early for selling.
Thanks to the investment in irrigation system, Dong Minh field, Lang Minh commune (Xuan Loc district) increased production area in winter-spring crop.
Guaranteed water source for irrigation
Every year, especially in drier years, before, during and after the Lunar New Year, many fields and areas producing annual crops in the province had to struggle againsted drought. This year, due to unseasonal rains with many heavy rains at the end of the year, localities also invested in some irrigation projects, so the winter-spring crop increased in both area and efficiency.
Mr. Pham Quang Trung, deputy head of the Irrigation Exploitation Station of Xuan Loc-Long Khanh-Cam My commented that this year, all localities would ensure water source for the winter-spring crop. Specifically, in previous years, Lang Minh commune (Xuan Loc district) only had had Tay Minh and Binh Minh fields of more than 210 hectares with an irrigation system source from Suoi Vong lake. The Dong Minh field was only 1 road away from the other two fields, which had not been invested in irrigation, must use water from drilled wells and a part of the water used from the Tay Minh field. Accordingly, in the winter-spring crop, Dong Minh field could only being used about 50 hectares, the rest was abandoned. But since this field invested with irrigation canal system to bring water from Gia Mang lake, 100% of this field area could be used for winter-spring crop. This year, the water source was more abundant than every year, excess water from the canal system of this field filled the stream at the end of the field, creating a source for the production of fruit trees and perennials in the area bordering this field.
Mr. Nong Van Quy added that farmers had to drill wells without a source of irrigation water, but this water contaminated with alum, causing slow growth of crops and poor productivity. The investment in the irrigation system helped to save farmers' labor power a lot. In the past, farmers had had to go to the fields to bring water to the fields, now it only took one person to open the culvert to supply the whole field with water. In this year's winter-spring crop, farmers started the crop about half a month later than every year because the time of sowing encountered unseasonal rain, farmers had to wait for the soil to be dried before sowing so as not to be rotten. When there was not enough water for production, the fields were in trouble because of the lack of production water, but this year, the water was abundant, so it was not too afraid.