Crop diversification helps Bac Ai farmers increase income

In recent times, Bac Ai district has directed localities to promote the conversion of crop structure, diversifying crops on ineffective rice land and non-water-controlled farming areas to grow drought-resistant crop varieties to increase land use value, aiming to improve the quality and value of agricultural products, bringing economic efficiency to producers.

As one of the localities that effectively implemented the work of converting crop structure, in the 2023-2024 winter-spring crop, Phuoc Trung commune converted over 50 hectares of ineffective rice land and hilly land to grow waxy corn, hybrid corn, sesame, peanuts, watermelon, etc. Currently, farmers' crops are growing and developing well thanks to the irrigation water from Phuoc Trung Lake, Phuoc Nhon Lake and the TN9, TN11, TN13 canals of the Tan My irrigation system. Mr. Chamaléa Phang's family in Dong Day village converted 7 sao of rice land to grow waxy corn. Currently, the corn is nearly 2 months old, in the stage of flowering and producing young fruit. Mr. Phang shared: Thanks to favorable weather, this crop, the corn plants grow evenly, develop well and have few pests and diseases. The family is focusing on watering and fertilizing during the fruiting stage to help the fruit grow large and achieve high yields. Sharing the same joy as Mr. Phang, the 1.1ha sticky corn field of Mr. Kator Tan's family in Dong Day village is also growing well, promising a bumper crop. Mr. Tan said: This land previously only produced one crop in the rainy season with unstable yield, and was left fallow in the dry season. Encouraged by the commune to switch crops, I decided to improve the land, dig a pond to store water and invest in pipes and pumps with a budget of over 50 million VND to switch to growing local sticky corn. Switching crops in the right direction has helped my family's economy grow more and more. After 3 corn crops, my family has earned over 80 million VND.

Mr. Kator Tan in Dong Day village, Phuoc Trung commune converted 1.1 hectares of hilly land without water to grow waxy corn in the winter-spring crop.

In the 2023-2024 winter-spring crop, Bac Ai district planted 1,800 hectares of various crops; of which, 760 hectares of rice and 1,040 hectares of other crops. For hilly areas without proactive irrigation water sources, the district directed the localities of Phuoc Thanh, Phuoc Thang, Phuoc Hoa... to mobilize farmers to convert crops with an area of over 121 hectares with drought-resistant crops such as corn, cassava, beans, sesame, watermelon, chili... Recently, thanks to the favorable weather, the crops in the converted land have all grown well, expected to yield high yields, showing many positive signs. This is also the direction that farmers in many localities choose to produce in the upcoming summer-autumn crop.

Ms. Ngo Thi Cuc, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Ai district, said: Through the reality of crop restructuring in the communes in the past time, it shows that the crops have economic value 2-4 times higher than rice cultivation. In the coming time, the district will continue to promote propaganda and mobilization in many forms to raise farmers' awareness of crop conversion. At the same time, guide people to apply intercropping and crop rotation methods, create commodity production areas, gradually diversify crops, help people increase income and develop family economy.

Kha Han

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