He single-handedly manages 9 hectares of rice fields.

HNN - In the hearts of the people of Thanh Lam Bo, a purely agricultural village in Phu Vang commune (formed by the merger of Phu Gia, Vinh Ha, and Phu Da town), Mr. Ho Van Loi is a "champion farmer," an active member of the commune's "Excellent Farmers in Production and Business" club, diligently cultivating 9 hectares of rice fields for decades, striving for a prosperous life.

Mr. Loi carefully monitors each rice paddy to apply the appropriate techniques.

After several postponements of our meeting, due to farmer Ho Van Loi being busy inspecting and tending to his family's nearly 9-hectare rice fields, I finally arrived in Thanh Lam Bo around noon. It was then that I met Mr. Loi, who had just returned from the fields.

Mr. Loi said: "This year's summer-autumn crop was left unfinished. The rice was only 15-20 days old when several heavy rains and floods occurred, submerging it and killing it all. We had to replant a second time. I cultivate on a large area, so the 'age' of the rice varies depending on the rice crop. Some crops are about to flower, while many others are in the fertilization stage, so I have to closely monitor and inspect them to promptly apply appropriate care methods and techniques for each crop, ensuring healthy growth and high yields."

Handing her husband a towel to wipe the sweat from his face, Mrs. Le Thi Xoa, Mr. Loi's wife, smiled and said, "My husband is the only one in the family who handles all the farm work. We cultivate two rice crops a year, and from the start of the season until the harvest is complete, he's busy in the fields every day; he spends most of his time out there. During peak seasons, he wakes up at 2 a.m. every day to go to the fields. He only manages to come home for lunch and a short rest in the midday sun before returning to the fields around 8 p.m. Running back and forth across 9 hectares of rice paddies costs him more than 50,000 dong in gasoline every day."

Mr. Loi said that decades ago, when he first started his business, like many other farmers in the area, he had to carry baskets and spread fertilizer by hand. Now that he has a machine, farmers still have to wade through mud, going row by row, carrying a heavy tank weighing 40-50 kg on their backs, which is very hard work. "Using drone services to spread fertilizer and spray pesticides is much faster and less strenuous, however, there may be uneven application compared to manual spraying, and the rental price is more expensive. I choose to rely on hard work for profit; I've been doing this for decades, and I'm used to it," Mr. Loi said with a simple smile.

Through careful and diligent work, toiling day and night in the fields, Mr. Loi earns a net profit of around 200 million VND per crop during the winter-spring season and around 100 million VND per crop during the summer-autumn season. Over the years, Mr. Loi has invested nearly 1 billion VND in large and small tractors, pumps, and transport vehicles to support his family's farming work, as well as plowing, pumping water, and transporting goods for other villagers to increase his income.

For decades, through rice farming and hard work, Mr. Loi has been the pillar of his family, developing their economy and becoming increasingly prosperous. He has built a spacious house with modern amenities and accumulated savings. According to Mr. and Mrs. Ho Van Loi, their most valuable "asset" is their six children, who have been raised to be successful adults, graduated from university, and have stable jobs.

Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Deputy Chairman of the "Excellent Farmers in Production and Business" Club in Phu Vang commune, said that in addition to developing his family's economy, Mr. Loi has also created jobs for many laborers in the area. As a farmer with many years of experience in production, Mr. Loi is also willing to support and share his experience with club members and farmers in the village and commune. "In the hearts of the people of Thanh Lam Bo, Mr. Loi is a 'champion farmer,' an example for the people in the area to strive in production," Mr. Nguyen Van Toan said.

Text and photos: Quynh Anh

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/nong-nghiep-nong-thon/mot-minh-ganh-9-ha-ruong-155767.html