On-farm irrigation adjustments help Can Tho agriculture 'take off'

Over the years, the agriculture sector of Can Tho city has had many outstanding points, especially in infrastructure investment, irrigation development, flow clearance, and assurance of irrigation water sources, thereby contributing to promoting the growth of agricultural production.

The coastal districts such as Thoi Lai, Co Do, Vinh Thanh, O Mon, and Thot Not districts are fully supplied with fresh water from the Hau river because they are not affected by drought and saltwater intrusion, so farmers are active in agricultural production. After harvesting winter-spring rice, farmers start working on the land to switch to summer-autumn rice production.

According to the agriculture sector of Can Tho City, up to now, the city has sown a summer-autumn rice variety on over 70,000 ha. Currently, farmers start to harvest early summer-autumn rice varieties with an average yield of 5.5–6.5 tons/ha.

The special thing is that this year, many farmers are happy when the yield of the summer-autumn crop stays as stable as in previous years, the rice has few pests and diseases, and it is sold at a high price. The investment cost for the summer-autumn crop is 10-15% lower than in previous years, thanks to the application of new scientific and technological solutions and the increased use of organic fertilizers, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.

In the early days of July, traveling along the traffic routes of Thoi Lai, Vinh Thanh, and Co Do districts, it can be seen that many farmers have entered the early summer-autumn rice harvest crop because rice production was not affected by the dry season in the early months. Localities also take the initiative to strengthen irrigation by dredging on-farm canals and storing water, so agricultural production becomes more favorable.

Mr. Tran Van Thom in Truong Xuan commune, Thoi Lai district, Can Tho city, who cultivated more than 1.3 ha, said that more than 10 years ago, this land could only produce two rice crops per year, and the yield was not high because the irrigation system had not met the demand and the amount of water in the field was not adequate.

However, in recent years, thanks to the government's attention and investment in on-farm irrigation structures, farmers in the commune have increased their production to three rice crops per year, and the yield is much higher than before. At the same time, farmers also develop fruit trees and aquaculture.

Particularly for this year's summer-autumn rice crop, thanks to good on-farm irrigation, Mr. Thom's 1.3 ha of rice has less need to hire someone to pump water into the field, reducing the cost of water pump rental by about VND 2 million, but the rice develops greenly and healthily with fewer pests and diseases, thereby reaching 6.2 tons/ha at the end of the rice crop.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thoi Lai district, the irrigation structures to create on-farm sources in 2023 will have a total length of nearly 108 km and a total volume of 800,000 m³ to serve more than 10,200 ha of agricultural land.

The district’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has coordinated with the district’s departments and branches and the People's Committees of communes and towns to mobilize people to dredge eight on-farm irrigation structures with a total budget of VND 145 million. These structures have a total length of more than 7km and a total volume of over 13,000 m³, serving nearly 300 ha of agricultural land.

Mr. Nguyen Qui Ninh, Head of Can Tho Sub-Department of Irrigation, said: It can be said that over the years, the irrigation system in the area has contributed to the city's agricultural production achievements. Typically, Can Tho city produces three rice crops /year, with an output of over 1.3 million tons.

The output of fruit trees reached nearly 170,000 tons, and that of aquaculture reached over 220,000 tons. The above results were achieved thanks to the complete investment in the agricultural infrastructure system, embankments, and water supply canals, along with synchronously implemented irrigation by the grassroots government.