Hai Duong expands organic-oriented rice farming

Organic rice farming area in An Thanh commune, Tu Ky district, is larger and larger

Farmers have cultivated high-yield and quality rice varieties along with ruoi (ragworm) and fiddler exploitation in riverside areas of Tu Ky district, Kinh Mon provincial town, etc. in recent years.

The move aims to increase economic efficiency on the same area as well as creating clean organic-oriented products.

Pham Thi Tuyen’s family in Tu Lac 2 hamlet, Minh Tan ward, Kinh Mon provincial town, has nearly 1 ha of land by the Da Vach river.

She used to plant only bananas to fill in the bare ground because of difficult travel from home. Not until 10 years ago did she improve the soil for ruoi and fiddler exploitation.

Tuyen ploughed 1 – 2 times a year and fertilized the soil with manure, rice husks, and straw to make it loose for ruoi and fiddlers to live and eat.

However, weeds often grew in the field during the dry season, forcing her to clean it up.

Tuyen decided to grow rice instead of leaving the field uncultivated to overcome the situation.

As a result, weeds are gone, she no longer has to spend on straw, and the soil is loose thanks to regular plowing.

A local of Tu Lac 1 residential area, Minh Tan ward, Kinh Mon provincial town, scatters a small amount of nitrogen to facilitate the growth of rice in her ruoi exploitation area

Rice roots have also become shelters, helping ruoi grow more and more.

“My family has had more rice to eat and sell since rice growing. Everyone loves clean rice, pushing its price up by 15 – 20% compared to rice of the same variety grown in normal fields,” said Tuyen.

Not far from Tuyen's house is the one of Tran Van Thang, who has nearly 3,600 m² of riparian land. Since rice growing, Thang has realized the effectiveness of this combination model.

Rice cultivation in riverside areas is more difficult than inland fields for no use of plant protection products and chemical fertilizer but microbial one, as much as one third of which used in normal fields, and manual weeding. Nevertheless, the method brings about clean rice that ensures safety and quality.

“When rice is free from pests and diseases, I obtain 1.5 quintals of rice/ 360 m²,” said Thang.

Many households in Quang Trung commune, Tu Ky district, have also combined rice cultivation with ruoi exploitation in recent years.

The family of Nguyen Van Doi, deputy head of An Ho hamlet, has 2,520 ha of alluvial land.

Doi said rice cultivation on ruoi exploitation grounds contributes to doubling production efficiency, increasing the amount of ruoi and creating a pure landscape and environment for riverside areas as well as bringing farmers clean rice.

After preliminary processing, organic rice grown from ruoi exploitation areas in An Thanh commune, Tu Ky district, is taken to many fairs and exhibitions by New Generation Agriculture JSC. and popular among consumers (photo courtesy by the company)

Organic rice farming is highly economically beneficial in An Thanh commune, Tu Ky district, as selling prices are 20 – 25% higher than those of the same rice varieties grown in fields.

Preliminarily-processed and packed rice is sold for more than 60,000 VND/kg, many times higher than market prices.

Despite this efficiency, farmers in some places only focus on ruoi and fiddler exploitation and are not interested in the benefits of rice due to farming customs.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Division of Tu Ky district, said there are 360 ha of ruoi and fiddler exploitation in the district, but only people in An Thanh and Quang Trung communes combine ruoi and fiddler exploitation with rice farming.

Those in such communes as Chi Minh and Binh Lang virtually exploit ruoi and fiddlers and rarely cultivate rice.

The district will strive to have 600 ha of ruoi and fiddler exploitation combined with rice cultivation by 2025 to increase economic efficiency.

Kinh Mon provincial town has also encouraged people to replace old rice varieties with high-yield and high-quality ones for higher economic efficiency.

There are 750 ha of organic and organic-oriented rice cultivation in the province, up nearly 100 ha over 2021, mainly in Tu Ky and Kim Thanh districts, Kinh Mon provincial town, etc., according to the Sub-department of Cultivation and Plant Protection under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

THANH HA