Do not let the soil go dormant.

After the heavy losses caused by natural disasters in the crop season, farmers in Lao Cai province are racing against time to plant winter crops, determined to follow the two principles of "not letting the land hibernate" and "using the winter crop to make up for the summer crop".

Farmers of Au Lau ward take care of winter vegetables.

Au Lau Ward is one of the localities that suffered heavy damage to agricultural production after the circulation of storm No. 10 with 199.3 hectares of rice, 142.4 hectares of corn and vegetables buried and flooded.

Therefore, this year's winter crop is not only a normal production crop but also a solution to restore agricultural production, compensate for the shortage of output, and contribute to maintaining food security after the crop was damaged by natural disasters. The target set by Au Lau ward is to plant 235 hectares of winter crops with an average value of about 127 million VND/ha.

Immediately after the flood receded, local people began to restore production. Many agricultural areas were urgently renovated to plant winter crops.

Vegetables are the main crop that farmers in Au Lau ward prioritize to produce in the winter crop of 2025.

In recent days, taking advantage of favorable weather, Ms. Chu Hai Yen, Cong Da residential group, Au Lau ward, urgently cleaned the fields, dredged ditches, and improved the soil to promptly plant new vegetables.

Ms. Yen shared: The earlier you plant, the sooner you harvest, so I choose to grow short-term vegetables that are suitable for the current weather, helping my family quickly have income after the natural disaster. Longer-term crops will be planted after this period.

In addition to the people's initiative, the People's Committee of Au Lau Ward has coordinated with the Yen Bai Agricultural Service and Support Station of agricultural extension officers to go to villages with heavily damaged agricultural production areas to guide people on measures to recover, care for crops after floods, and improve fields in order to produce the winter crop in 2025 in time.

The ward has also requested Tan Phu Company to promptly dredge and repair irrigation works and canal systems, and provide 6 tons of NPK fertilizer to the people. Thanks to that, up to now, Au Lau farmers have completed planting 101.3/235 hectares of winter crops, reaching 43% of the plan.

Farmers in the province are actively cultivating the winter crop in 2025.

Not only Au Lau ward, in many localities in the province heavily affected in agricultural production, such as Quy Mong, Xuan Ai, Bao Ha, Bao Thang... the atmosphere of land preparation and bed making of people is also bustling with the motto "getting winter crops to make up for the summer crops".

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Anh - Head of Economic Department of Bao Thang Commune, said: The target for winter crop cultivation this year in the commune is over 287 hectares; of which, corn 59 hectares, sweet potato 28 hectares, potato 6 hectares, vegetables of all kinds 185 hectares, flowers 9 hectares; production value reached 106 million VND/ha. Up to now, Bao Thang Commune has completed harvesting the winter-spring rice, corn harvested 165/248 hectares; winter crop has been planted about 127 hectares.

To ensure progress and productivity, Bao Thang commune has directed agricultural officers to go directly to the grassroots to guide people in the form of "hand-holding and showing how to do things".

In addition, the commune coordinates with the Regional Agricultural Service Center to organize training, transfer techniques, introduce new varieties, and forecast weather and pests to guide people in timely use of prevention measures; build a number of pilot models of winter crop production for people to learn and replicate.

The most encouraging thing in this year's winter crop production picture is the bold experimentation of new crop varieties in many highland localities - where winter crops were previously almost not produced due to harsh climatic conditions.

Typically, in Ta Xi Lang commune, the Commune Farmers' Association supported seeds, fertilizers and technical guidance for 3 households in Xa Nhu and Ta Cao villages to plant 600 m2 ^of pineapple and 1,300 ^{m2 of} yellow-fleshed potatoes on rice fields on a trial basis. After 2 weeks of planting, the survival rate reached approximately 100%, and the plants grew quite well.

Mr. Tran Van Hai - Chairman of the Commune Farmers' Association, said: The winter weather in Ta Xi Lang is very harsh, so the winter crop is almost abandoned and not cultivated. Therefore, if this crop is successful, it will be the basis for the association to propagate and mobilize people to carry out winter crop production, from there, expand in the following years.

People in the highland commune of Ta Xi Lang experimented with growing pineapple and potatoes in the winter crop.

In the highland village of Bu Cao, Ba Cau, Van Chan commune, people are also urgently harvesting the summer-autumn rice crop, freeing up land to grow winter crops.

Mr. Mua A Khu in Bu Cao village shared: "Last year, my family earned millions from growing winter crops, so this year I proactively harvested early, cleaned the fields, dredged the ditches and plowed thoroughly to prepare for the new winter crop. I never thought that winter crops could be produced because the weather was cold and difficult to care for, so for many years, this field was left fallow, what a waste!"

It is known that in 2024, Hoang Nga Agricultural Company Limited, Yen Son branch, supported all seeds, fertilizers and purchased all products for people at market prices; in which, the minimum insurance price is 2,000 VND/kg of vegetables to test planting 6.5 hectares of surplus winter cabbage. In 2025, with the same approach, the company will continue to test planting sweet corn varieties with a commitment to accompany the Mong people here to overcome initial concerns, helping people confidently produce the winter crop.

Green is gradually spreading over Lao Cai fields after natural disasters.

With the efforts to overcome difficulties, the consensus and determination of farmers, local authorities and functional agencies, as of October 24, the whole province has planted 6,933/14,960 hectares of winter crops, of which corn 4,061/7,362 hectares, sweet potatoes 68/1,245 hectares, vegetables of all kinds 2,755/6,201 hectares, flowers 43 hectares/74 hectares, potatoes 6 hectares.

From the fields devastated by storms and floods to the highland hillsides sown for the first time, everything is covering the dry, barren land with green - the green of hope, of belief in a bountiful harvest and prosperity.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/khong-de-dat-ngu-dong-post885427.html