Focus on winter crop, try to regain production rhythm

Farmers in Truong Thi ward are taking advantage of the opportunity to prepare the land for planting winter crops in 2025.

These days, across the fields in localities across the province, farmers are actively clearing fields, weeding, tilling the soil, clearing irrigation and drainage canals, and planting winter vegetables within the time frame as instructed by professional agencies.

This winter crop, Ms. Nguyen Thi Luyen, Nam Ninh commune, planted more than 6 sao of various crops. Ms. Luyen confided: In the 2025 crop, due to the impact of storms No. 9, No. 10 and No. 11, the family suffered a loss of more than 30% of rice yield. Determined not to let the land rest, right after harvesting the winter rice, I rented a machine to make beds for winter crops. Encouraged by the local Party Committee and government, the family boldly expanded the planting area to more than 6 sao of winter crops, including 3 sao of potatoes, hoping for "heavenly time, favorable location", "good harvest, good price" to compensate for the loss of the crop...

Like many other households, this year Ms. Luyen chose Marabel potato variety to grow. This is a potato variety with good disease resistance, high yield, high quality, suitable for local soil conditions. Ms. Luyen added: "I plan to plant winter potatoes in early November 2025. On average, each sao of planting needs 40-45 kg of seeds, depending on the size of the tubers. If well cared for, the potato yield can reach 7-8 quintals/sao. Last winter crop, with an average price of 11-13 thousand VND/kg, after deducting expenses, the family earned a profit of more than 4 million VND/sao."

Mr. Tong Viet Vinh in residential group 3, Yen Thang ward shared: As a locality with a tradition of growing winter crops, this year the government actively promoted and advised farmers to expand the planting area. Participating in winter crop planting initiated by the commune and continuing the success of the model of growing melons in greenhouses, this winter crop, my family invested in building an additional 2,000m2 of greenhouses, increasing the total area of greenhouses to 7,000m2 to grow the Kim Hong Ngoc yellow melon variety.

Thanks to the training on planting, care, protection and harvesting techniques by the Center for Application of Science and Technology and Innovation Support (Department of Science and Technology), the Institute for Regional Research and Development ( Ministry of Science and Technology ), and the Van Quyen Safe Agricultural Products Cooperative, the production process has been smooth. Hopefully, with proper planting and care following the technical process, the Kim Hong Ngoc golden melon variety will grow and develop with high productivity and stable selling price, contributing to bringing in a significant source of income for the family.

Comrade Nguyen Van Ru, Director of Nam Cuong Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, Yen Cuong Commune, said: The Cooperative has directed members to focus on harvesting summer-autumn vegetables and crops, then prepare the land and plant winter crops immediately. According to the plan, people will plant warm-weather winter crops from the end of October, and cold-weather winter crops from the beginning of November.

In the 2025 winter crop, based on the orientation of the agricultural sector, the Cooperative is focusing on guiding farmers to increase the use of organic fertilizers in the process of planting vegetables and crops. Strengthening guidance and dissemination of soil preparation techniques, pest control on winter crops; performing well the irrigation and drainage services for production; organizing the supply of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for production. Therefore, farmers are very confident and excited to focus on winter crop production. It is expected that by November 10, 2024, farmers and members of the Cooperative will basically complete planting the entire winter crop area to ensure the right seasonal requirements.

In Truong Thi ward - one of the localities with a large winter crop area in the province with about more than 300 hectares; to compensate for the value and yield of the crop, the commune is stepping up propaganda and implementing the winter crop production plan to each residential group; instructing farmers to sow according to the plan with a suitable seed structure. Comrade Tran Van Quynh, Director of Bao Xuyen Agricultural Service Cooperative, said: Since the end of October, the Cooperative has opened a cold storage to "return" all of more than 100 tons of seed potatoes to households for selection and classification so that when the weather is favorable, they can be ready to plant more than the planned area.

To help farmers stay with their fields and feel secure in production, the cooperative signed contracts with a number of agents, agricultural product sales points and agricultural product processing enterprises to purchase all commercial potatoes. With the propaganda and encouragement of local authorities, many households in the commune have registered to plant, increasing the area of vegetables by more than 5 hectares compared to the winter crop in 2024. People are actively clearing the fields and preparing the land to start planting from the end of October 2025.

According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in the winter crop of 2025, the main crop varieties planted are corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, kohlrabi, cabbage, spinach, potatoes and various green vegetables. The whole province strives to plant about 23,000 hectares of various vegetables. Of which, 25% of the winter crop area is on 2-rice land; some localities with tradition and experience in growing winter crops have built 1-2 models of linkage with enterprises in the production and consumption of commercial winter crop products and models of safe vegetable production, circular economy and organic orientation.

Comrade Nguyen Sinh Tien, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: To complete the winter crop production plan, the Department of Agriculture recommends that communes and wards focus on planting high-quality varieties of waxy corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, potatoes, etc., meeting the requirements of processing and export quality. Localities should proactively develop plans, select and plan flat and high-lying fields with favorable irrigation conditions for winter crop cultivation. Strengthen technical guidance and link with businesses to build a production-consumption linkage model for farmers.

Communes and wards actively build safe vegetable production models according to VietGAP standards, in the organic direction or according to Japanese technology, producing safe agricultural products. Promote planting of early winter heat-loving crops; expand the area of potato planting in localities with conditions and production experience, serving processing. Continue to direct and support cooperatives and units to promote the expansion of the area of cold-loving winter crops; urge and guide farmers to take advantage of favorable weather to plant seeds to ensure the crop schedule; strengthen production linkages and create favorable conditions for enterprises and socio-economic organizations to invest in developing agricultural production in the area.

The province's irrigation companies actively coordinate with communes, wards, and agricultural service cooperatives to regulate water, delimit irrigation and drainage areas, and create a source of support for farmers to take good care of vegetables, ensuring good growth and development, achieving high productivity and value.

Article and photos: Van Dai

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/don-suc-cho-vu-dong-no-luc-lay-lai-nhip-san-xuat-251103163559549.html