Written in the colorful fields

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Hoang Hoa is a fertile plain region with many high-yielding and efficient crop fields. Each season brings its own bounty, and the fields never disappoint the diligent and hardworking farmers.

People in Hoang Luu commune harvest carrots in a collaborative production field.

In the crisp, cool air of late March, I visited Kim Son village in Hoang Tien commune at a time when the villagers were busy harvesting potatoes. Large, uniformly sized, golden potatoes were sorted into large plastic bags and neatly arranged on the edge of the fields, awaiting transport by trucks. Mr. Le Van Tu, the head of Kim Son village, proudly introduced the village's potato fields, saying, "This is the fifth year that the villagers here have been involved in collaborative potato production. We have three harvests a year, never letting the land rest. After the rice crop, we switch to the soybean and vegetable crop, then to the potato crop; each season brings its own produce. The agricultural land utilization rate here reaches 2.35 times, thus yielding high economic value per unit area."

Mr. Le Van Tu shared: “One sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of potatoes can yield 3-4 times the economic benefit of rice cultivation; one sao of vegetable soybeans also yields twice the profit of rice cultivation. Therefore, three households in the village, including Le Duy Trong, Nguyen Huu Tuan, and Tran Huu Vui, have taken the initiative to consolidate and concentrate large areas of land to cultivate potatoes and vegetable soybeans through a cooperative model. More than a dozen other households in the village also produce on their family's land.”

According to the head of Kim Son village, during the recent winter and winter-spring seasons alone, the entire village planted 11.3 hectares of potato varieties such as Marabel and Atlantic. The villagers rented or borrowed land from other residents for production and simultaneously signed product purchase contracts with VIETPO Joint Stock Company. Those who rented or lent their land were then hired as seasonal laborers for planting, tending, and harvesting, earning between 230,000 and 250,000 VND per day, depending on the time of year.

Potato farming is not as arduous as it used to be. From preparing the soil to harvesting and fertilizing, everything is done using machinery. The farmers in Kim Son village are no longer worried about price drops due to bumper harvests, as the market is stable with businesses coming to buy directly from the fields. Furthermore, potatoes are planted and cared for according to technical guidelines, the soil is suitable, and the weather is favorable, resulting in high yields and quality. “This year's potato crop has an average yield of about 1.4 tons per sao (approximately 1000 square meters), with some potato varieties yielding even higher. The price offered by the collaborating unit in the last harvest was 7,500 VND/kg. With high crop yields and a stable market, after deducting production costs, people have additional income from farming. Kim Son is one of the villages with a high income level in the commune, with an average per capita income of 77.2 million VND/year,” Mr. Tu added.

In Hoang Luu commune, during the month of March, people in the villages of Phuong Ngo 1, Phuong Ngo 2, Nghia Lap, Phuong Khe, etc., were busy harvesting potatoes and carrots in the linked fields. The farmers were reassured by the good harvest and stable prices; while the linked units had a source of quality agricultural products to supply processing and export companies.

Mr. Le Ngoc Hanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoang Luu commune, said: "The production of commercial crops through cooperative farming has been implemented by many people in the commune for about 7-8 years now. Especially since the application of science and technology, the introduction of mechanization into production, and the signing of contracts guaranteeing product output, people have enthusiastically participated. Households contribute land, lease land, and directly participate in the stages of planting, caring for, and harvesting crops with a stable daily wage. In cooperative farming, on large fields, each hectare of land planted with commercial crops can be cultivated in rotation for 3 seasons a year (planting potatoes, pumpkins, then sticky rice or vegetable soybeans), bringing in a value of 120-150 million VND/hectare/season. Specifically for the 2024-2025 winter season, the entire commune has 120 households cooperating with Xuan Minh Co., Ltd. to plant 20 hectares of potatoes and 10 hectares of carrots." The company organizes production, supplies seeds, fertilizers, agricultural materials, and provides technical guidance to the people. Most of the linked land is equipped with automatic irrigation systems, resulting in high yields and quality crops.

As life becomes more modern, many people seek other, more profitable jobs. However, in rural areas, there are still many resourceful farmers who transform their fields into valuable cash crops. According to statistics from the Hoang Hoa District People's Committee, in 2024 alone, the entire district had 769.5 hectares of crops linked in value chains, an increase of 340 hectares compared to the same period in 2023. Many organizations, individuals, businesses, and cooperatives inside and outside the district have built sustainable and long-term production links with the people. This is one of the encouraging results in agricultural development in the localities. Walking through the bustling fields during harvest season, I suddenly remembered the meaningful verses from Hoang Trung Thong's "Song of Breaking New Ground": "Our laboring hands / Sow life / On every dry land / Our diligent hands / Though the sun burns / Sweet potatoes flourish in the fields / Rice plants grow green in the forests / When the sweet potatoes are gone, we sow sesame / We don't let the land rest, we don't stop our hands"... The familiar fields, the year-round daily farming work, but with a new mindset and new forms of production, these fertile fields and the spirit of diligent labor still bring bountiful harvests.

Text and photos: Minh Hien

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ghi-o-nhung-canh-dong-mau-244663.htm