Focus on winter crop production.

Việt Nam•13/11/2023

Residents of Nam Thanh ward, Dien Bien Phu city, are tending to their winter corn crop.

For the family of Ms. Lo Thi Vui in Pom Loi village, Nam Thanh ward (Dien Bien Phu city), the winter crop has become the main production season for many years now, not only providing additional income but also creating a large amount of feed for livestock. This winter, Ms. Vui's family planted over 1,000 square meters of corn and potatoes on land previously used for two rice crops. By following the correct planting schedule and providing regular care, the family's winter corn and potatoes are developing well, providing an additional source of income in the future.

Dien Bien District is one of the localities with a large area of winter crop cultivation, with over 950 hectares, mainly corn, potatoes, and various vegetables. To ensure a successful winter crop season, from the beginning of the season, the District People's Committee directed specialized agencies to coordinate with the commune authorities to identify the strengths of land, climate, and irrigation in each area to select suitable and effective crops; and to prepare sufficient quantities and quality of seeds, materials, and fertilizers. At the same time, they reviewed and adjusted the planting plan and schedule to suit the local situation. In addition, the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the communes to organize training and guidance for farmers on cultivation techniques, pest and disease control, and mechanization in production; and monitored the growth and development of crops and pests to provide timely and effective care and control. At this time, winter crops in the district are growing and developing well.

For the 2023 winter crop season, the entire province is expected to plant over 1,900 hectares of various crops, mainly in the districts of Dien Bien (over 950 hectares), Nam Po (160 hectares), Tua Chua (130 hectares), Muong Ang (120 hectares)... In terms of structure, the main crops are corn for grain with an area of 397 hectares, peanuts (over 81 hectares), sweet potatoes (34 hectares), potatoes (7 hectares), and various vegetables (over 1,375 hectares)... The total estimated yield is over 28,000 tons; including nearly 1,000 tons of corn, over 1,600 tons of sweet potatoes, and over 25,000 tons of various vegetables. Many high-yielding, high-quality crops have been prioritized for production during the winter season and their cultivated area is constantly expanding, such as: chili peppers, potatoes, zucchini, and various herbs and spices.

Besides the advantages, the 2023 winter crop production is predicted to face difficulties such as: Climate change and extreme weather will negatively impact and pose a major challenge; the market and prices of agricultural products are unstable, especially for high -value products. Production linkages along the value chain with the participation of businesses and the application of safe production practices are still limited; the implementation of farmers' linkage contracts is not yet guaranteed, and agricultural cooperatives have not fully played their role; business and service activities are not truly effective, have not created concentrated commodity production models, and agricultural products are not uniform. The prices of input materials remain high, affecting agricultural production activities. Pests and diseases still pose a potential risk of causing severe damage to corn and some other crops (fall armyworm), reducing yield and production.

To ensure efficient winter crop production, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development requests that the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities develop production plans and methods suitable to local conditions; promote and encourage farmers to boost winter crop production in a concentrated manner, with product consumption linkage contracts. At the same time, encourage people to diversify crop structures; use short-day varieties, prioritize crops with high economic value; expand the area of crops that can be preserved and processed after harvest (pumpkins, soybeans, peanuts, onions and garlic for bulbs, etc.); and crops processed into animal feed (corn, beans). Simultaneously, encourage businesses and cooperatives to participate in linkages to organize production and consumption of winter crop products. Strengthen information dissemination, propaganda, and trade promotion to expand production and consumption linkages.

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