'Warm stomachs' thanks to rice cultivation.

QTO - After crossing the Ma Nang slope, you reach the Rao Tru valley, a former war zone of Quang Ninh district, Quang Binh province, during the two wars of resistance against the French and the Americans. Now, the Rao Tru valley has become the living area of ​​the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic group in the villages of Khe Day, Khe Ngang, Hang Chuon... in Truong Son commune, Quang Tri province. The entire Rao Tru valley is covered in a vast expanse of green rice paddies.

On their journey to settle down and build a new life, the Bru-Van Kieu people of Truong Son commune are becoming increasingly attached to wet rice cultivation, helping them to fill their stomachs and abandoning the traditional slash-and-burn farming method of dry rice cultivation. This year's winter-spring crop saw Truong Son commune planting over 90 hectares of wet rice, concentrated in the following villages: Khe Ngang (19 hectares); Rao Tru (18 hectares); Khe Day (10 hectares); Rao Da (10.5 hectares); Lam Ninh (5.5 hectares); Sat (7.9 hectares)...

Rao Tru Valley, Truong Son commune, is covered in a vast expanse of green rice paddies - Photo: Provided

Mr. Tran Duc Thuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Son commune, said: Due to the unique characteristics of the villages, which are mainly located in mountainous and remote areas, the area of ​​wet rice cultivation is very fragmented, making it difficult to encourage people to expand the area and apply advanced science and technology to production. The wet rice cultivation area is mainly concentrated in the villages of the former Truong Xuan commune. Although there are still difficulties in investing and expanding the area to increase productivity, in the last 10 years, the Bru-Van Kieu people in the villages that have successfully cultivated wet rice have become more attached to this crop. Producing two rice crops a year helps people stabilize their food supply for about 7 months.

Khe Ngang village boasts the largest area of ​​paddy rice cultivation in Truong Son commune, with 19 hectares. The village has a population of 124 households, but only 75 households currently own land for paddy rice cultivation due to a lack of available land for expansion. Thanks to a stable water supply from the Chan Troong irrigation dam, the Bru-Van Kieu people of Khe Ngang village cultivate two rice crops per year, with an average yield of 52 quintals/hectare. Having been involved in paddy rice cultivation for many years, the villagers are familiar with applying scientific and technical methods to production. As a result, the paddy rice in Khe Ngang village this winter-spring season is growing and developing well, entering the heading stage, promising another bountiful harvest.

Bru-Van Kieu people in Khe Ngang village tending to their winter-spring rice crop - Photo: Provided

In the Chân Trộng rice field, Mr. Hồ Nghiên from Khe Ngang village is busy fertilizing his rice crop with his wife. Having a firm grasp of the rice plant's growth cycle, Mr. Hồ Nghiên proudly says: "Like many other families in the village, we only use organic fertilizer during the heading stage. This results in firmer grains and higher yields."

Ho Nam, Secretary and Head of the Fatherland Front Committee of Khe Ngang village, shared: "My family cultivates 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of rice paddies, yielding two harvests per year. Thanks to rice farming, the lives of the villagers have improved compared to before, providing a reliable food source for about 5-7 months of the year and easing the burden of food assistance from the State."

“This winter-spring season, Truong Son commune has planted crops on over 594 hectares of agricultural land. In addition to rice, there are also other key crops such as: cassava (245 hectares), peanuts (136 hectares), various vegetables (36 hectares), corn (35 hectares), sugarcane (33 hectares), and various beans (26 hectares)...,” added Tran Duc Thuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Son commune.

Rice cultivation has truly taken root among the Bru-Van Kieu people in the mountainous Truong Son commune. Although the cultivated area is not large and the yield is not high, in some villages where rice is grown, the people's stomachs are gradually warming up, easing the burden of annual food shortages as before. Establishing and developing rice cultivation in the Bru-Van Kieu villages, helping the people to embrace this new production method, is creating a sustainable agricultural landscape in the border commune of Truong Son on its journey towards poverty reduction.

Ngo Thanh Long

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202604/am-cai-bung-nho-trong-lua-nuoc-b7c109d/