Along the Mac Dinh Chi road connecting from the center of Soc Trang to Tran De in the old Soc Trang province, on both sides of the road, many rice fields have been harvested before Tet. No longer is there a scene of farmers "daring" to grow the 3rd rice crop in the anxiety of waiting for fresh water. Instead, there are green melon fields, corn fields that are rising, or simply the land is given rest to wait for the rainy season.
In Tai Van commune (Can Tho City), Mr. Son Phuol stands in the middle of a watermelon field that is flowering and bearing fruit, pointing to the small ditches dug along the rice field.
Growing rice this season takes a lot of water. Watermelons tolerate drought better, watering twice a day is enough," he said.
Mr. Phuol said that for many years, he has proactively converted the area of the 3rd rice crop to growing crops, thereby bringing high and more stable economic efficiency.
The story of "abandoning crop 3" is also considered a necessary decision by many farmers.
Mr. Lam Xia in Tran De commune (Can Tho City) said that his family always sows early the Winter-Spring crop to harvest before the peak salinity season.
Do it early to harvest early to be sure. After finishing this crop, let the land rest, wait for the rain to fall before recommencing," Mr. Lam Xia shared.
In Tan Thanh commune (Can Tho City), Mr. Nguyen Tien Khanh invested in digging a pond of nearly 3,000m2 to store fresh water, installing a water-saving irrigation system for 1 hectare of crops. He shared that this area only stabilizes two rice crops, crop 3 often lacks water and saltwater intrusion, so he decided not to bet anymore.
Reality in coastal localities such as Long Phu, Tran De, Soc Trang (belonging to the old Soc Trang province) shows that the model of growing crops on dry-season rice land has been maintained for many years.
Mr. Lam Tan in Long Phu commune rotates rice - color crops over 3,500m2, each year does 3 color crops and then improves rice land, earning nearly 200 million VND. That number is not just money, but proof of a different way of thinking: Favorable production.
Amidst the increasingly severe climate change context, the story in the coastal area of Can Tho City is not just about switching from rice to melons or digging more ponds to store water. It is a journey of changing thinking, from experience-based production to risk-based production; from waiting for the sky to proactive adaptation.
According to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Science, compared to 2016 and 2020, the saltwater intrusion level in the Mekong Delta this year is assessed to be significantly lower, at an average level or below the multi-year average.
Although the water source in the dry season 2025 - 2026 is assessed above average, ensuring the production plans of localities, the salinity peak is still concentrated at the end of March to April. The salinity boundary of 4g/l is commonly 42 - 55km from the river mouth and can penetrate 50 - 60km deep if water is abnormally stored. Therefore, localities need to proactively implement solutions to adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion according to the forecast scenario.
