Nghe An farmers grow short-term winter crops to serve the year-end market

Farmers cling to winter crops

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Sam's family in Hamlet 7, Van Du Commune has been growing cucumbers for more than 10 years. After harvesting the summer-autumn crop, he converted more than 1.2 sao of land to grow the winter crop. Despite prolonged storms, thanks to experience and proper techniques, his family's cucumber field still grows well.

winter crop 2 — Farmers in hamlet 7, Van Du commune harvest winter cucumbers. Photo: Xuan Hoang

“This crop, traders buy at the field for 13,000 VND/kg, higher than previous years. If the weather is favorable, each sao can bring in an income of 15-18 million VND,” Mr. Sam said excitedly.

Observing the fields of hamlet 7, dozens of other households are diligently harvesting or tending to their melon fields. Although cucumbers are labor-intensive, they can be harvested continuously for nearly 2 months, 2-3 times a week, bringing in a steady income. Thanks to their suitability to the climate and soil conditions, cucumbers are becoming the main crop of many households in Van Du commune.

winter crop 3 — Winter cucumbers in Van Du commune are planted in early September, so they can be harvested early. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Ma Xuan Uyen - Vice Chairman of Van Du Commune People's Committee said: The Commune People's Committee has developed a 2025 winter crop production plan, established a Steering Committee, regularly inspected fields, provided technical training and implemented a safe vegetable model in the organic direction on 16 hectares. By the end of October, the whole commune had planted more than 300 hectares of winter crops, making good progress compared to the plan. Of which, corn is the main crop with 251 hectares, new varieties such as NK7328Bt/Gt, NK6101, CP501, CP511... were planted in the fields from the beginning of September; cucumbers 18 hectares, concentrated in hamlets 3, 6, 7; sweet potatoes 5 hectares; and various vegetables 27 hectares.

“Although the winter crop has many unfavorable factors, farmers have mastered the techniques and applied reasonable processes, so the yield and quality of crops are quite stable. This is an effective production direction, helping many households take advantage of the land fund after rice,” Mr. Uyen emphasized.

In Dai Hue commune, the movement of winter crop production has been a long-standing tradition. It is known that since the beginning of September, people have planted nearly 100 hectares of vegetables. However, prolonged rains and floods have caused many areas to be flooded and severely damaged, forcing people to replant from the beginning.

Vu Dong 12 — Farmers in Dai Hue commune produce winter crop. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, a farmer in Dai Hue commune, said that although growing winter crops is hard work, if the market is stable, it will bring in a good income. After the flood, Ms. Hong's family re-cultivated the land and planted sweet potatoes and squash. Right from the beginning of the season, the family prepared composted manure, which reduced input costs.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh The - Vice Chairman of Dai Hue Commune People's Committee said: "After the water receded, people urgently prepared the land and added seeds to keep up with the season. Up to now, the whole commune has replanted about 110 hectares of vegetables, mainly cold-resistant vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, and sweet cabbage. However, due to the impact of the weather and high material prices, the possibility of completing the plan of 300 hectares of winter crops is very difficult. Currently, the commune is focusing on propaganda and mobilizing people to speed up winter crop production."

Not only Dai Hue commune, many other localities are also rushing to speed up production progress. In the communes of Quynh Anh, Dien Chau, An Chau, Thuan Trung, Van Hien, etc., farmers are planting short-term vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, herbs, sweet potatoes, etc. These are high-yield, easy-to-sell crops, meeting market demand at the end of the year.

Choose the right plants

The winter crop has a harsh weather condition, so choosing the right crop for each soil and climate condition is considered a key factor. According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Nghe An province, Nghe An only arranges production in areas with proactive irrigation and good drainage, prioritizing short-term crops, cold-resistant and highly economically efficient. Currently, the two main groups of crops in the winter crop of the province are corn and vegetables.

Farmers in Quynh Anh commune prepare the land to replant vegetables after the recent rain. Photo by Xuan Hoang — Farmers in Quynh Anh commune prepare the land to replant vegetables after recent rains. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Instead of growing corn for grain, which is prone to the risk of lodging and flooding, localities are advised to switch to biomass corn to link consumption to livestock farms. For vegetable crops, it is necessary to choose cold-loving vegetables with short growing periods; at the same time, strengthen production links and product consumption to ensure output. In addition, some plants with good resistance such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, radishes, squash, cucumbers, etc. are suitable for sandy soil, riverside and coastal alluvial soil, helping farmers flexibly respond to climate change.

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, as of October 20, the whole province had only planted 8,736.4 hectares of winter crops, reaching 25.98% of the plan (33,626 hectares) and equal to 45.13% compared to the same period in 2024 - a progress quite low compared to the requirements. Among the crop groups, corn accounts for the largest area with a plan of 19,000 hectares, but only 3,653.7 hectares have been planted (19.2% of the plan). Peanuts also only reached 400.1 hectares (38.1% of the plan), sweet potatoes have only been planted on 272.6 hectares (21.8% of the plan). The vegetable group, with 4,410 hectares, equivalent to 36.3% of the plan, equal to 62.6% compared to the same period last year.

In fact, some localities have proactively switched to growing short-term and early-season vegetables to supply the Tet market. Traditional production areas such as Quynh Anh, Dai Dong, Dai Hue, Giai Lac, Quan Thanh communes, etc. are also making efforts to grow additional crops, despite difficulties due to lack of seeds and prolonged wet soil.

The colored area of Quynh Anh commune is the key production center of vegetables, tubers and fruits in Nghe An . Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Ho Dang Tam - Director of Quynh Bang General Agricultural Cooperative added: Due to the heavy and prolonged rains in the winter this year, the cooperative has chosen short-term crops with suitable growing periods to ensure production safety. The cooperative has planned specialized areas and organized concentrated production, and at the same time linked with consumption units to grow organic radishes and carrots to serve the Tet market. The cooperative also oriented people to spread out the planting of short-term vegetables such as mustard greens, cauliflower, etc. to avoid too much supply at the same time. However, up to now, the cooperative has only produced about 20% of the total 1,500 hectares of fertile land, the rest will be arranged to expand when the weather is favorable.

To speed up winter crop production, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has asked localities to mobilize maximum machinery and human resources, taking advantage of sunny weather to speed up planting. Localities are also encouraged to replicate the model of safe, organic vegetable production, associated with the growing area brand. This is a direction that both ensures food safety and increases economic value for farmers, meeting modern consumption trends. Strive to basically complete the 2025 winter crop planting plan by the end of November./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nong-dan-nghe-an-trong-cay-vu-dong-ngan-ngay-phuc-vu-thi-truong-cuoi-nam-10310043.html