Green fields of newly planted rice

It was late March, the sky was less gloomy, and in the fields of Thai Nguyen province, the rice was growing lush and green. This year, Thai Nguyen planted nearly 40,000 hectares of spring rice. In the mid-season crop, the rice plants had already tillered, each sturdy clump stretching towards the warm spring weather. The late-season rice crop had also begun to turn green and take root. Soon, after April and May, the rice will bloom, bend over, ripen, turn red at the tips, and turn golden yellow, and Thai Nguyen will enter the bustling harvest season.

People in Thai Nguyen are diligently tending to their spring rice crop, hoping for a bountiful harvest.

From the lush green fields of today

More than three weeks ago, many rice fields in Cay Hong hamlet, Vo Nhai commune, only had scattered young rice seedlings, but now they are lush green. Looking down from above, the rice paddies here stretch out in a vibrant green, brimming with life.

The custom of the people in this highland village is to mainly plant late-season rice, so the production season usually starts late and the harvest is also later. However, this is actually an "advantage" for the rice plants to avoid the biting cold of the highlands, so that the seedlings do not die from frost and freezing temperatures, and the rice plants quickly take root and recover.

Ms. Nong Thi Nhan, a resident of Cay Hong hamlet, shared: "Previously, people mainly planted early spring rice, when strong cold spells kept coming. Despite our best efforts, some years the rice still died due to the cold, requiring replanting, resulting in losses of both money and effort. Since receiving guidance from agricultural extension officers, we have changed our crop structure, only planting late spring rice to protect the crops from the cold, so we have had a bumper harvest almost every year."

As she spoke with us, the eyes of this woman from the highlands shone with joy. It seemed that this joy was spreading to all the hardworking and diligent farmers in the province.

It has been a long time since Thai Nguyen has had such a favorable start to the spring rice crop. There was no water shortage, and the villages were harmonious and united from the upper to the lower fields, working together to plant rice quickly and complete the spring crop within the allotted time.

Supplies and fertilizers were also provided promptly to help farmers cultivate their green rice fields. Most encouragingly, this year, pests and diseases affecting the rice crop were scattered with low densities and rates of damage, mainly OBV and rice blast, but these were all detected and controlled in a timely manner by the farmers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ta, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the highlight of rice production in mountainous provinces like Thai Nguyen today is the application of scientific and technological advancements.

Notably, although the spring crop focuses only on mid- and late-season tea, it still finishes on schedule thanks to the mechanization introduced by farmers. To date, the annual mechanization rate for land preparation in the province reaches approximately 95%; for rice harvesting, it reaches 70%; and for transportation, it reaches 100%…

Until the rice stalks are heavy with grain in the future.

With a promising start, people in the province are confident that this year's spring rice crop will be bountiful, yielding golden, heavy ears of grain. For a long time now, due to the shift in rice variety structure towards increasing the area of ​​high-yield, high-quality rice varieties, and the promotion of advanced techniques in rice cultivation to increase product value, productivity, and output, rice has not only become a local food source but also a commodity.

Many new rice varieties are being tested by specialized agencies in the province to propagate them on a large scale, resulting in high-yielding, high-quality, and economically efficient rice varieties.

Some rice varieties produced in Thai Nguyen that are sold in stalls, shops, and supermarkets inside and outside the province include J02, Thau Dau sticky rice from Phu Binh commune, and Vai sticky rice from Hop Thanh commune.

The mindset of rice farmers has changed positively, leading to a shift in the development of specialty rice varieties towards concentrated, specialized cultivation with branded products, and the total area under cultivation has reached four digits.

These include several large production areas such as: the J02 rice production area in Phu Binh and Dai Tu districts, the Thau Dau glutinous rice growing area in Phu Binh commune, and the Vai glutinous rice growing area in Hop Thanh commune. In addition, Thai Nguyen has also established a safe rice production area with 31 hectares of rice meeting organic standards and 12 hectares of rice certified for greenhouse gas emission reduction…

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh from Dai Tu commune said: "The area has developed a fairly large, concentrated area for J02 rice production. This is a favorable condition for us to effectively monitor pests and diseases, cultivate rice, and regulate irrigation... At the same time, it has made rice cultivation a significant source of income for many households in the commune."

Although the cultivated area is not as large as the main crop, spring rice always plays an important role in the province's annual grain production, with high yields, reaching around 60 quintals/hectare in many places. Therefore, to ensure good rice growth, in the coming time, people and local authorities need to proactively monitor and protect crops, and prevent and control pests and diseases promptly and effectively. In particular, they need to monitor the development of dangerous diseases such as brown planthopper and blast.

As March draws to a close, the spring rice crop is already one-third of the way through. Looking at the lush green fields today, we are reminded of the vibrant golden carpets woven across the hillsides and villages of our homeland, Thai Nguyen. It's a bright, abundant, and vibrant color that brings a sense of peace and happiness to the rural areas of this land of steel and tea.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202603/xanh-nhung-canh-dong-lua-moi-3f503fa/