Farmers are enthusiastically planting their winter-spring crop.

At the end of the 2023 harvest season, farmers in Tanh Linh district were delighted because, unlike in the past when a good harvest meant low prices and vice versa, this year's harvest was both bountiful and profitable. Average yields reached 55-57 quintals/hectare, and selling prices ranged from 8,300-9,000 VND/kg of fresh rice. Farmers earned a profit of 30 million VND per hectare after deducting expenses.

Currently, farmers in various localities throughout the district are focusing on planting rice for the 2023-2024 winter-spring crop.

Mr. Le Van Bay, from Lac Hoa 1 neighborhood, Lac Thanh town, who recently completed sowing his winter-spring rice crop using a seed spraying machine on 1 hectare in the large rice field, said: "There are many reasons to be happy about winter-spring rice production. Firstly, the last harvest yielded high prices, resulting in high profits. Secondly, the government provided support with bio-fertilizers to help maintain and expand the area under the large-scale model rice field project. Thirdly, the water supply from the electric pumping station ensured sufficient water for sowing the winter-spring crop." Mr. Bay hopes that rice prices will continue to be as high as they were last season.

In the fields of Duc Binh commune, Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Duc Binh Agricultural Service Cooperative - is also actively digging drainage ditches and using a sprayer to sow rice for the winter-spring crop. Despite the busy work, Mr. Duc happily shared: For the 2023-2024 winter-spring crop, the cooperative is linking up with 44 farmers to produce rice on 60 hectares using organic farming methods. Of this, 20 hectares are for ST25 rice variety, 20 hectares for OS20 variety, and 20 hectares for OM18 variety. In addition, they are also producing 5 hectares of OM 5451 seed rice. Because production is organic, it requires strict adherence to procedures: After harvesting the main rice crop, they spray pesticides to kill any mixed rice and treat the straw in the fields. Next, add water and prepare the soil. Soak the soil for 10-15 days, then continue leveling the surface of the field, creating drainage ditches, draining the water, and drying before sowing. Before sowing, mix the seeds with antagonistic microorganisms to increase the rice plant's disease resistance. Sow sparsely at 12-15 kg of rice seeds per sao (approximately 1000 square meters). Not only is a strict process followed from the soil preparation and sowing stages, but the production process must also be adhered to throughout the rice plant's growth and development to produce clean and safe rice for consumers.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tanh Linh District reported that the 2023-2024 winter-spring rice crop plan covers 8,670 hectares. The entire area is within the irrigation plan. High-quality rice varieties such as ML202, Dai Thom 8, and OM 5451 will be used in the planned 3,000-hectare area. The area for large-scale rice farming linked with businesses investing in and consuming commercial rice is 2,890 hectares; the area for certified rice seed production is 278 hectares; the area for production according to the SRI process is 10 hectares; and production according to VietGAP standards is 59 hectares . The general planting schedule runs from November 25, 2023 to January 25, 2024. Planting will be concentrated between December 5, 2023 and January 5, 2024, to ensure compliance with the pest avoidance schedule.

Source