Winter-spring rice crop: The joy is not yet complete.

Currently, farmers in Khanh Hoa province are focusing on harvesting the 2025-2026 winter-spring rice crop. Although yields and rice prices are stable, increased production costs have led to reduced profits.

Production costs have increased.

In the fields of Van Phu 1 Agricultural Cooperative (Van Ninh commune), farmers are urgently harvesting the last rice crops of the season. Yields are quite good, averaging nearly 7 tons/ha. The price of fresh rice purchased at the field is about 9,000 VND/kg, and dried rice about 9,300 VND/kg. Although rice prices are good , the joy of rice farmers is not complete due to increased investment costs. Mr. Huynh Hong (Phu Cang 1 village) said that this season his family cultivated 5 hectares of IR17494 rice variety. Right from the beginning of the season, the floods in November 2025 caused waterlogging, forcing a portion of the area to be replanted, supplemented with rice seedlings, and the amount of fertilizer increased to help the crops recover. Although yields and selling prices are good , due to increased costs, profits have not met expectations.

Farmers harvest rice in the fields of Van Phu 1 Agricultural Cooperative.

According to Mr. Pham Hoang Danh, Director of Van Phu 1 Agricultural Cooperative, the entire cooperative cultivated 235 hectares of winter-spring rice, which has now been harvested. This season, in addition to the impact of weather, the prices of agricultural supplies, fertilizers, and fuel have all increased sharply, causing production costs to rise by more than 20% compared to last year. One of the biggest concerns for farmers during the harvest period is the cost of services. However, thanks to proactively signing contracts early with agricultural service providers, the cooperative has maintained the harvesting labor cost at 2 million VND/hectare, and transportation costs at approximately 11,000 VND/bag. After deducting expenses, farmers earned a profit of about 1 million VND/sao (1 sao = 360 square meters).

At Van Phu 2 Agricultural Cooperative (Van Ninh commune), over 220 hectares of rice belonging to the cooperative are currently being harvested. The service fee ranges from approximately 2.2 million VND/hectare; transportation costs are 10,000 - 12,000 VND/bag depending on distance. Proactively linking with these services has helped farmers feel more secure amidst rising fuel prices.

According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Luyen, Head of the Economic Department of Van Ninh commune, in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop season, the locality planted nearly 1,500 hectares of rice, and so far more than 200 hectares have been harvested. Given the high fuel prices affecting investment costs, cooperatives have proactively worked with agricultural service providers to agree on service prices for harvesting and transporting rice, aiming to reduce costs for farmers. The remaining rice fields are being carefully tended by local farmers. The Economic Department has advised farmers to increase field inspections, detect and treat pests and diseases promptly, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, lower investment costs, help the rice plants grow well, and contribute to environmental protection.

Members of Van Phu 2 Agricultural Cooperative are drying rice from the winter-spring crop.

In Ninh Hoa ward, nearly 2,000 hectares of winter-spring rice are in the early ripening and late flowering stages. Although the rice plants are growing well, increased investment costs are causing concern among farmers. In the Dien Khanh rice-growing area, rice-growing cooperatives are proactively applying solutions to reduce input costs. For example, the Dien Loc Agricultural Cooperative is applying the method of processing rice straw into bio-fertilizer, limiting the use of fertilizers. Other cooperatives are effectively implementing models such as: "3 reductions, 3 increases" (reducing seed quantity, reducing pesticides, reducing fertilizers; increasing yield, increasing quality, increasing economic efficiency); combined with "1 must, 5 reductions" (must use certified rice seeds; reduce seed quantity sown, reduce pesticide use, reduce nitrogen fertilizer, reduce water, reduce post-harvest rice loss) to maximize profits while input costs for rice production are currently rising.

Intensify care for rice crops in the late season.

According to the head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, this year's winter-spring rice crop saw over 36,000 hectares sown throughout the province. The main varieties are: ML48, ML202, ML214, IR17494, CB3988, TH41, and TH6. To date, farmers have harvested approximately 2,000 hectares. Thanks to relatively stable weather and good pest and disease control, the yield of the early rice crop reached about 64 quintals/hectare. The purchase price of rice at the field ranged from 6,500 to 9,500 VND/kg depending on the variety. This is a stable and high price compared to the previous winter-spring crop. However, farmers faced many difficulties this season, especially the sharp increase in prices of agricultural supplies, fertilizers, and fuel, which reduced production efficiency.

From now until the end of April (when the winter-spring rice harvest is complete), agricultural experts warn that the risk of pests and diseases remains, especially in the late stages of the season for late-season rice crops. Therefore, farmers need to increase field inspections to detect and treat pests and diseases promptly; provide proper care, and only use pesticides when absolutely necessary to reduce production costs and protect the environment. At the same time, cooperatives and production groups should strengthen production and consumption linkages, proactively manage inputs and outputs, and improve economic efficiency.

HONG DANG - THANH HAI

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/nong-nghiep-nong-thon-moi/202604/vu-lua-dong-xuan-niem-vui-chua-tron-dfe0a13/