Focus on harvesting the rice crop.

As the main rice crop enters its peak harvesting season, farmers in localities across the province are concentrating manpower and resources to speed up the harvesting process with the motto "better to harvest while the rice is still green than to let it ripen too much in the field".

The agricultural sector advises farmers to take advantage of favorable weather conditions to harvest the rice crop early and efficiently.

Every year, at harvest time, the joy of a bountiful harvest always shines on the faces of farmers as the fruits of their labor are rewarded with heavy, ripe rice stalks. However, this year's harvest has been affected by weather and pests, resulting in a significant drop in rice yield. Walking across the rice fields during harvest season, the sadness of the farmers is evident in every single rice stalk.

Ms. Le Thi Chanh from Dong Vinh commune (Dong Hung district) said: "The cost of rice production this year is almost the highest in recent years. The rice was planted just before a heavy rainstorm hit, and although I didn't have to replant, I spent a lot of time thinning and caring for it. My rice bloomed right when typhoon number 3 hit, so pollination was poor, and the percentage of empty grains was high, significantly reducing yield. Currently, the rice is only about 85% ripe, but to ensure safety, I'm harvesting it to dry and preserve the yield."

While the usual hustle and bustle of the harvest season persists, farmers in Hung Ha district are experiencing less joy this year as approximately 4,000 hectares of rice fields have been affected by Typhoon No. 3, along with rain and floods, resulting in lower yields compared to the 2023 harvest.

Mr. Pham Van Binh, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Hung Ha district, said: This year's crop season, Hung Ha planted over 10,300 hectares of rice. Farmers have strictly followed the crop structure and planting schedule, with over 60% of the area planted with high-yield rice varieties, and the remaining area planted with high-quality rice varieties for commercial purposes such as RVT, Bac Thom No. 7, TBR279... By October 9th, the entire district had harvested over 8,000 hectares. With the motto "rice in the morning, other crops in the afternoon," the district directed farmers to maximize the area of ​​winter crops to compensate for losses caused by natural disasters.

To expedite the harvest, localities are implementing flexible plans to reposition harvesting machines. Mr. Tran Van Sy, a combine harvester owner in Nghe An , said: "After finishing the summer-autumn rice crop in Nghe An, we transport our machines to Thai Binh to harvest the autumn rice crop for the farmers. We take advantage of favorable weather to increase the operating time because if it rains, the fields will be wet, and the rice will be wet, making it difficult for the machines to operate and increasing fuel costs. This year, rice yields have decreased, so we have also adjusted the harvesting costs downwards to share the burden with the farmers."

This year's rice crop across the province covers over 74,300 hectares, including over 30,100 hectares of high-quality rice varieties, nearly 44,000 hectares of high-yield purebred rice varieties, and the remainder being hybrid rice. By July 20th, the province had basically completed rice planting; however, heavy rains from July 14th to 19th forced replanting of over 1,000 hectares, mainly in Tien Hai, Kien Xuong, and Vu Thu districts. In early September, Typhoon No. 3 and subsequent rain and floods affected over 60,100 hectares of rice. Besides unfavorable weather conditions, this year's crop also saw complex pest and disease outbreaks, particularly the two-spotted rice stem borer, which had a density 6-10 times higher than the multi-year average, with scattered outbreaks at multiple peaks, affecting many rice varieties and impacting control effectiveness. This is probably the most challenging production run in years.

By October 9th, nearly 30,000 hectares of summer rice had been harvested throughout the province, concentrated in the districts of Hung Ha, Dong Hung, Vu Thu, Quynh Phu, and Thai Thuy. From now until the end of October, localities will focus intensely on harvesting the summer rice crop. The agricultural sector advises farmers to take full advantage of favorable weather conditions to harvest ripe summer rice early and efficiently, following the principle of "better to harvest while still green than to let it rot in the field," freeing up land for planting winter crops. Farmers should closely follow the planting schedule and actual weather developments to adjust the crop structure accordingly; at the same time, they should flexibly apply land preparation and planting methods to take advantage of the season, expand the area of ​​warm-weather winter crops that are still in season; and develop cold-weather winter crops that have advantages, long shelf life, and good market demand.

Due to the impact of storms and floods, the rice yield of Ms. Le Thi Chanh's family in Dong Vinh commune (Dong Hung district) has decreased significantly.

Luu Ngan

Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/4/209746/tap-trung-thu-hoach-lua-mua