Corn replaces rice in saline-affected areas, yielding four times the income.

Despite the complex situation of saltwater intrusion, farmers in the freshwater areas of Go Cong (Dong Thap province) still earn high incomes thanks to converting inefficient rice land to corn cultivation.

During the 2026 dry season, severe drought and salinity intrusion are predicted in Dong Thap province . To mitigate the effects of drought and salinity, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province encourages farmers in the freshwater areas of Go Cong to boldly replace rice with corn in water-scarce fields.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province encourages farmers in the Go Cong freshwater zone to boldly replace rice with corn in water-scarce areas.

Mr. Le Hoai, from Dong Son commune (Dong Thap province), said that in previous years, saltwater intrusion during the dry season disrupted production on many agricultural lands. However, this year, farmers have boldly switched to growing corn and other crops that are drought and salinity tolerant. Among these, corn is the most widely planted crop, with a shorter growing season, higher yields, and less water consumption compared to rice.

A typical example is Mrs. Tran Thi Be's family in Dong Son commune. For two consecutive years, they have replaced rice with corn on 1.5 hectares of land, resulting in a significantly better income and a more comfortable life for her family. Mrs. Be explained that this area is prone to salinity, and in previous years, farmers would abandon their fields during the dry season. Since receiving encouragement from relevant authorities, her family boldly switched from rice to corn. Surprisingly, corn is very drought-resistant and yields high productivity.

“On average, each hectare yields about 7.2 tons per crop. After deducting expenses, farmers earn a profit of over 80 million VND per hectare, four times higher than rice. Therefore, many households have completely switched to growing corn year-round (5 crops/year). In the commune, there are probably about 1,500 hectares of rice fields converted to corn cultivation. Currently, the price of corn is 3,000 - 3,500 VND per ear (an increase of 1,500 VND compared to last month), so we farmers are very happy,” said Mrs. Bé.

Growing corn in the freshwater area of ​​Go Cong yields four times the profit of growing rice.

According to reports, at this time, although the local sluice gates to prevent saltwater intrusion have been closed, corn farmers are still cultivating as usual because corn requires less water. The agricultural sector of Dong Thap province has organized training for corn farmers on applying organic production solutions, using biological pesticides, and limiting chemical fertilizers to produce clean corn.

Box: Currently, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province is implementing a linkage with processing enterprises, aiming to expand the area of ​​corn cultivation and convert areas with water scarcity to corn farming.

Focusing on finding stable markets and guaranteeing product sales will help farmers feel secure in their production, avoiding the situation of "bumper harvests leading to price drops," and contributing to promoting the restructuring of the local agricultural sector towards modernization and adaptability.

According to sggp.org.vn

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/cay-bap-thay-lua-o-vung-ron-man-thu-nhap-cao-gap-4-lan-a238153.html