Unlocking the source of high-yielding rice
For a long time, many people have often known Mr. Vo Van Kiet as the Former Minister with many innovative decisions. Among the works bearing his mark is the revival of the Mekong Delta. But few people know that when he was still the "head of the province", he nurtured these seeds.
The story began in 1976, when he was Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Mr. Kiet returned to Can Tho to visit his close friend during the war, Mr. Pham Son Khai, who was then Principal of Can Tho University. During the conversation, Mr. Khai showed off that Dr. Vo Tong Xuan was working at the school, and had worked at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Mr. Kiet was eagerly exclaimed: "After the school's victory, we will easily face the hungry, so rice is very important". So the story of friendship was shifted to the story of rice.
Suggested, Dr. Xuan expressed: "Currently, most people grow rice in one crop, low productivity because there are no noble rice varieties, but this one has many on the IRRI side". Hearing this, Mr. Kiet immediately said: "So it's great, doctor, promote relationships to help people". That listening and enthusiasm brought a sound of encouragement like a command to inspire Dr. Xuan at the age of U40 to burn out. Now the two are already naturalists, but this meeting will forever be a source of pride in the beautiful mark in the history of Vietnamese rice.
Not only did he increase communication to receive and transfer new varieties, Dr. Xuan also created a "agricultural promotion art" program, but he was also a scriptwriter and musician, playing many musical instruments such as: Trong, mandatoline to integrate knowledge of growing caouted rice and art to easily attract farmers to enjoy and acquis basic knowledge about rice plants.
And it is also thanks to Mr. Kiet that Dr. Vo Tong Xuan also gave birth to the Agricultural Science and Technology Program on Ho Chi Minh City Television. During his lifetime, Prof. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan said: In early 1978, I went to the studio to ask about opening a agricultural promotion program. At first, the brothers were a bit concerned because this was very new, but when I heard Mr. Vo Van Kiet's idea of expanding rice cultivation, everyone agreed to "pull up the fence" to do it". It is called tearing the fence because it has been asking for policy for many consecutive months without any response, while the need to encourage farming so that people can soon access high-yielding rice is very urgent. When put into operation, the program was warmly welcomed by the people, especially rice growers, to the point that Mr. Vo Van Kiet himself assessed it as "laxing" the entire salary reform program - a traditional form of entertainment specific to the people of the Mekong Delta.
Opening 2 rice granaries
Mr. Vo Van Kiet was also the one who opened the two abandoned fields: Dong Thap Muoi (Dong Thap - Tien Giang - Long An) and Long Xuyen Quadrangle (An Giang - Kien Giang - Can Tho) to become the largest rice granary in the country. Not only did he inspire localities to boldly implement, he also issued many decisions to turn many things that were thought "impossible" into "possible".
At the "Summary of 30 years of exploitation of Dong Thap Muoi", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong - former Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee shared that around 1982, in his role as Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the State Planning Committee, Mr. Vo Van Kiet repeatedly held meetings with leaders of the three provinces in Dong Thap Muoi (DTM) to discuss exploitation measures. Seeing localities frustrated by many foreign scientists who had warned them about the terrible consequences of penetrating alum bags, Mr. Kiet clearly demonstrated his mettle and vision: "We must do it. Because if lost, it will only lose the abandoned fields, and if it is lost, it will benefit the whole country".
With that spirit, in 1983, he implemented the Program "S Nhung Mekong Delta Basic Research", as a scientific basis for the exploitation of the DTM and Long Xuyen Quadrangle (TGLX). After that, he continued to issue many decisions that would have been difficult to birth without him. A typical example is the decision to dig the Hong Ngu canal (Dong Thap) - Vinh Hung (Long An) 45km long. When proposing, there were many opposing opinions because they thought that touching the "forest center" would awaken the forest, but from the long-term vision, looking wide, it came from the heart "for the people, for the people" that he chose to give himself the nickname: Six Nations, he was determined to do. The reality then and now proved that it was the right decision. Thanks to that, there is a canal that brings fresh water and alluvium from the Tien River through the DTM to the Vam Co Tay River, creating conditions for people to wash alum and awaken dead land into rice fields for 2 and 3 crops/year. Remembering that effort, the DTM people call it "central canal". After that, this title was "ad administratively" changed.
Mr. Vo Van Kiet's mark continued to be strongly printed in the TGLX field and his name was recognized by the people as the precious money of the land. On July 25, 1996, he returned to An Giang to survey the flood situation. After listening to the people's voices and the advice of scientists, he decided to invest in Tuan Thong canal (T5) with a scale of 36,700m. It was a decision that demonstrated the courage, intelligence and vision for the people of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet - Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhi, former Chairman of the An Giang Provincial Peoples Committee recalled. Because although it was determined before, due to many objective reasons, An Giang province could not implement this project.
According to Dr. To Van Truong - former Director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning, one of the irrigation advisors for Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet at the same time, the canal has a dual function: Bringing the ricewater source at the beginning of the season from upstream quickly to the West Sea, receiving the Hau River freshwater from Vinh Te canal flowing deep into the fields to remove sours, wash the rice, helping 500,000 hectares of low-lying areas of the TGLX in Tri Ton, Chau Phu, Thoai Son (An Giang), Hon Dat, Kien Luong, Giang Thanh (Kien Giang) to grow high-yi rice effectively.
To thank him, the people call him "Ong Kiet Canal", as a gratitude to the person who openly opens a prosperous and happy home. On July 10, 2009, at the 14th Session, following the wishes of the people, the An Giang Provincial People's Council issued a Resolution to name the Vo Van Kiet Canal. On his 3rd death anniversary, An Giang province built " Vo Van Kiet Cultural Park" on the land at the head of the canal as a reminder of his gratitude to posterity. It is not just a project, but a recognition of the people's hearts - an enduring mark over time.
