On February 2, reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper recorded that a large salt production field of dozens of hectares in Lien Xuan residential group, Tran Phu ward (formerly belonging to Ho Do commune) was abandoned and flooded, with weeds overgrown, only a few small fields being used to grow green vegetables.
Ms. Pham Thi That (69 years old, residing in Lien Xuan residential group) said that her family has nearly 800 m2 of land in a salt field that has been abandoned for many years. The reason for abandonment is that she is old and no longer has the health to produce, and at the same time making salt is hard but ineffective, so many people abandon it to work as hired laborers for better income.
Also according to Ms. That, realizing that salt production was ineffective and many fields were abandoned, about 5 years ago, the government of Ho Do commune (old) planned and converted nearly 30 hectares of this salt production field to aquaculture. However, so far, it has not attracted investors to implement aquaculture projects, so the land is still abandoned as it is now.
To be honest, if we produce salt, we can only do it for 3 summer months each year, the efficiency is low, so I hope there will be a shrimp farming project so that we can receive compensation and earn money for old age expenses," Ms. That shared.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh (51 years old, residing in Lien Xuan residential group) has more than 700 m2 of abandoned salt production land. Regretting the land, she grows some vegetables to support herself daily and sells to earn pocket money.
According to Ms. Anh, having land for vegetable cultivation is also happy because she both works instead of exercising to improve her health and has clean vegetables to eat. However, if the shrimp farming project is implemented and compensation is adequate, she will also accept to recover it.
Some other households when asked also expressed their desire for the locality to attract aquaculture projects to compensate people, limit land waste for a long time, and at the same time create jobs for people through working as aquaculture workers for investors in their rural fields.
Representatives of Lien Xuan residential group shared their desire for local authorities to have solutions to attract investors to implement aquaculture projects to avoid abandoning this salt field for a long time, causing land waste.
According to the investigation of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, in recent years, due to low efficiency of salt production, many localities in Ha Tinh have abandoned hundreds of hectares of salt production land. In which, in Ho Do commune, nearly 120 hectares were abandoned, Dinh Ban commune (old), now Thach Khe commune, 45 hectares were abandoned, Ky Ha commune (old), now Hai Ninh ward, nearly 60 hectares were abandoned.
The reason is that salt production is hard, the weather is unfavorable, many rains and storms make it difficult to produce, mainly only produce for 3 summer months and salt prices are low, so salt farmers are tired of their profession, abandoning their land to work as hired laborers.
