Bustling in the rice fields
Recorded at noon on February 2 (the 5th day of Tet), along Mac Dinh Chi road from Soc Trang city to Tran De district (Soc Trang province), the atmosphere of rice harvesting was very bustling. Combine harvesters and rice transport vehicles were operating at full capacity. On the canal, traders also quickly anchored their boats to buy rice.
Mr. Thanh Xuan - a farmer in Tai Van commune (Tran De district, Soc Trang province), shared: "My family has just finished harvesting 6 hectares of Winter-Spring rice, with a yield of more than 6 tons/ha. Traders bought at the field for 7,000 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, I made a profit of about 15 million VND/ha. Although production costs are a bit high due to pests and diseases, the price of rice has increased by 500 VND/kg compared to before Tet for the Dai Thom 8 variety, so my family still made a profit," said Mr. Xuan.
Similarly, Ms. Tra Thi Hanh - a farmer in Tai Van commune (Tran De district, Soc Trang province) is also busy harvesting more than 5 hectares of ST25 rice variety, with an estimated yield of 8 tons/ha.
“The current price of rice is 9,100 VND/kg, an increase of more than 1,000 VND/kg compared to before Tet. Although the price of rice is not as high as the previous summer-autumn crop, we still make a profit. Hopefully the price will continue to increase in the coming crops,” said Ms. Hanh.
Not only rice farmers but also laborers have extra income during the harvest season. Mr. Lam Hen, a rice porter, said: "After a few days off for Tet, I started working from January 4th, earning about 500,000 VND/day from porterage of rice for hire."
According to records, rice prices are showing a slight increase of 500 - 1,000 VND/kg compared to before Tet. This is a good sign for farmers in the context of high production costs due to the impact of pests and climate change.
Coping with drought and salinity
Meanwhile, in Ke Sach and Chau Thanh districts (Soc Trang province), saltwater intrusion is a major concern for farmers.
Mr. Tran Van Phuong - a farmer in Thoi An Hoi commune (Ke Sach district, Soc Trang province), said: "We always have to closely monitor the situation of saltwater intrusion to protect newly planted rice areas. Especially, when I know that saltwater has started to penetrate into the fields, I have to close the sluice gates in time to protect the crop."
To cope with the drought and salinity situation, the agricultural sector of Soc Trang province has advised farmers not to plant late in vulnerable areas such as Long Phu, Tran De, Soc Trang city and My Xuyen.Other localities such as Ke Sach and Chau Thanh must also closely monitor water sources before deciding to plant.
Mr. Pham Tan Dao - Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department of Soc Trang province, said: "We recommend that localities increase water source inspection, use water economically and have plans to dredge canals to store fresh water, and closely monitor the situation of salinity intrusion to have timely response measures."
