Farmers wear headlamps while planting rice at night to avoid the intense heat.

In late May, intense heat blanketed the entire North Central region. In Nghe An, daytime temperatures rose sharply, with many areas and times recording temperatures exceeding 39-40 degrees Celsius, causing difficulties and obstacles for people's daily lives and work, especially agricultural production.

To meet the planting schedule for the summer-autumn crop, many farmers in various communes across Nghe An province have chosen to plant rice at night to avoid the harsh heat. Nighttime rice planting has become a routine practice for farmers in Nghe An province whenever the central region experiences prolonged heatwaves coinciding with the planting and harvesting schedule.

They carefully separated each young rice plant, its roots deeply embedded in the field, during the night.

Around 8 PM, in the rice fields at the foot of the mountain near the entrance to Tan Chau commune (Nghe An province), we easily spotted dozens of flashlight beams casting bright circles and moving slowly across the rice paddies. Occasionally, these beams of light would tilt and flicker on the water's surface. The light emanated from the headlamps worn by many farmers planting rice.

Using the light from his headlamp to illuminate the rice field while his wife quickly used a sickle to cut the young rice plants, Mr. Le Van Xuan from Tan Chau commune said that to avoid the intense daytime heat while ensuring the progress of the summer-autumn rice crop, many families in the commune have proactively arranged their daily routines, taking advantage of rest during the day to focus on labor in the evening. From 6 PM onwards, as soon as the sun sets over the mountains, people go to the fields to work. Besides planting rice, cutting the young rice plants, and spreading the rice clumps on the field, they also rake the soil to loosen, smooth, and level the surface.

Because the rice paddies had just been prepared, leveled, and irrigated, Mr. Le Van Xuan had to pull dozens of young rice plants, freshly cut at the base by his wife, and arrange them evenly on a thin, sturdy wooden plank to move and spread around the field. Each time he pulled, dozens of young rice plants filled the plank, weighing between 40 and 60 kg per trip. Thanks to the lightweight wooden plank, which floats on the water and the muddy field surface, allowing for smooth gliding, the work of pulling these young rice plants was less strenuous and difficult. Pulling the young rice plants to the field was done by men because it was a job that required a lot of strength, repetition, and frequent movement.

In many rice paddies, numerous women are busily transplanting rice seedlings. Beside them are plastic or aluminum basins filled with rice plants. Thanks to the light from headlamps and the skillful hands of the farmers, even working at night, the process of separating each rice plant from its clump and planting its roots deep into the field is quick and efficient. The young rice plants are transplanted in neat rows, with fairly even density and spacing. When transplanting rice at night, people usually work in groups of 2 to 4, always staying close together to make the most of the light from their headlamps.

Ms. Ho Thi Hang from An Chau commune shared that from late afternoon until nearly 10 PM is the peak time for farmers to go to the fields to plant rice. At this time, the temperature drops sharply, the wind and climate are cool, and the water on the fields has cooled down completely, making planting less strenuous. For small fields, family members plant the rice themselves, but those with larger fields have to borrow or hire help, or help each other through reciprocal labor.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Le from Tan Chau commune shared that during the day, the sun is scorching hot, the water in the rice paddies is hot, and working in the fields makes people very thirsty, quickly tired, and at high risk of sunstroke and heat shock. Therefore, many people choose to work in the fields at night to plant rice, prepare the soil, irrigate, build embankments, and build the base of the rice paddies. The tools for working in the fields at night are the same as during the day, but they add flashlights for light. Now that it's the beginning of summer, in addition to flashlights, there is also moonlight, so the work is quite convenient. Most importantly, it saves energy and ensures the work progresses within the seasonal timeframe.

Women in An Chau commune help people in Tan Chau commune (Nghe An province) plant rice through a system of reciprocal labor exchange or hiring.

Not only in Tan Chau and An Chau communes, but also in other lowland communes of Nghe An province such as Minh Chau, Duc Chau, Dien Chau, etc., farmers are implementing the practice of planting rice at night to avoid the heat and ensure their health.

In these villages, farmers usually eat their evening meal earlier than usual, around 6 PM, when the sun sets and the weather begins to cool down. People then call out to each other as they head to the fields. Along many village roads connecting hamlets and villages, the scene of people busily carrying drinking water, flashlights, and farming tools to the fields quickly unfolds.

In the fields, the shadows of people, the flickering light of flashlights, the cheerful chatter and laughter, the sounds of wading through the mud, the plowing of tractors, and the hauling of young rice plants create a lively atmosphere every night. As night falls, people call out to each other to leave the fields, rest, and bring their farming tools home.

According to residents in many communes, in recent years, working in the fields and planting rice at night has become a habit whenever the central region experiences extreme and prolonged heatwaves. People, especially farmers, have proactively changed their working hours to nighttime to adapt to the weather conditions, ensuring both health and work efficiency.

According to the Nghe An Provincial Department of Agriculture , for the 2026 summer-autumn crop season, the province aims to plant 56,000 hectares of rice, striving to achieve over 425,700 tons of food. Currently, production is facing many major challenges as the prolonged heatwave in recent days has caused water levels in reservoirs, rivers, and streams to decrease, increasing the risk of severe drought and water shortages.

In response to this situation, Nghe An province has directed and requested localities to proactively develop plans for water resource regulation, prioritizing water for key areas; maximizing the use of mobile pumping stations and implementing appropriate crop restructuring with drought-resistant crops in downstream areas and areas facing water scarcity...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/nong-dan-doi-den-cay-lua-dem-de-tranh-nang-nong-gay-gat-20260601141809551.htm