The effectiveness of converting inefficient rice fields to corn cultivation.

Ms. Le Thi My Dung, Deputy Director of the Pleiku City Agricultural Services Center, said: The model "Supporting the conversion of inefficient single-crop rice to planting Bach Long F1 glutinous corn" has been implemented on an area of ​​17.86 hectares with the participation of more than 80 households in Chu A, An Phu communes, Thang Loi, Chi Lang, and Hoa Lu wards. Accordingly, the Center supports 70% of the cost of seeds and fertilizers, while the people contribute 30% and are responsible for their own pesticides. To implement the model, the Center provided 187.5 kg of Bach Long F1 glutinous corn seeds, over 18 tons of fertilizer, and organized two technical training courses to help people master the planting, caring, and harvesting process.

Furthermore, during the implementation process, the Center assigned specialized staff to coordinate with agricultural officials in communes and wards, regularly visiting the fields to monitor the growth and development of the crops and provide timely guidance to farmers on effective crop care and pest control. After more than two months of planting, the corn plants grew and developed well, with fresh ear yields reaching 12-14 tons/ha.

Mr. On's corn field (far left) has been purchased by traders. Photo: Nhat Hao

According to Ms. Ta Thi Thao, a land and agriculture official in Chu A commune, 21 households in the commune participated in the model, covering a total area of ​​5.25 hectares. Monitoring showed that the corn plants grew and developed well, yielding an average of 12-14 tons of fresh corn per hectare. In particular, the Bach Long F1 corn variety is popular in the market, providing farmers with favorable product sales. Currently, traders purchase the corn directly from the fields, either by the ear or by the kilogram, at a price of 10-12 thousand VND/kg. After deducting expenses, farmers earn an average profit of nearly 10 million VND per sao (approximately 1000 square meters).

Mr. On (from Bong Phun village, Chu A commune) happily shared: "My family participated in the model of growing Bach Long F1 corn on an area of ​​1.1 sao (approximately 1100 square meters). Thanks to the 70% subsidy on seeds and fertilizer, I only spent about 3 million VND more on investment costs. At harvest time, traders bought the corn directly from the field for 15.5 million VND. After deducting expenses, my family earned 12.5 million VND."

Similarly, Mr. Nuk (from Bong Phun village) also said: His family has 1.5 sao (approximately 1500 square meters) of land for rice cultivation. In previous years, he only planted rice during the main crop season, leaving the land fallow due to water shortages during the winter-spring season. This year, the Pleiku City Agricultural Service Center provided seeds and fertilizer, and he spent nearly 5 million VND on fertilizer, seeds, and plowing to plant Bach Long F1 glutinous corn. “Because I lacked experience, I planted the corn far apart, resulting in lower yields compared to other households participating in the model. However, my corn field still yielded 1.6 tons, selling for over 18 million VND. After deducting expenses, my family made a profit of over 13 million VND. In addition, I was able to use the corn stalks as feed for my cattle,” Mr. Nuk said.

Mr. Nuk (Bong Phun village, Chu A commune) next to his family's corn field. Photo: Nhat Hao

The Deputy Director of the Pleiku City Agricultural Services Center added: The model "Supporting the conversion of inefficient single-crop rice to planting Bach Long F1 glutinous corn" The program was implemented to help people improve their knowledge of cultivation techniques and corn care to achieve high yields and efficiency. In particular, the Bach Long F1 corn variety can be harvested in just over two months, the plants are resistant to lodging during the rainy season, resistant to pests and diseases, and yield high productivity. In the future, the Center will coordinate with localities to promote and encourage people to gradually convert low-yield rice fields to Bach Long F1 glutinous corn cultivation to adapt to climate change and gradually improve economic efficiency and income.

Mr. Nuk (Bong Phun village, Chu A commune) next to his family's corn field. Photo: Nhat Hao

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/hieu-qua-tu-viec-chuyen-doi-dat-trong-lua-kem-hieu-qua-sang-trong-bap-243222.html