Thai Nguyen expects successful winter crop

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thai Nguyen province, winter crop production in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is of special significance, especially to ensure food supply at the end of the year, maintain the supply chain, create jobs and increase income for rural workers.

In this year's winter crop, the province does not focus on expanding its production area but improving the value and efficiency of farming.

Accordingly, the province called on farmers and cooperatives to increase the application of scientific and technical advances, cultivate organically, improve product quality and promote linkages to consume agricultural products.

At the same time, farms were called on to arrange a reasonable crop structure and cropping frame to properly meet people's consumption needs during the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thai Nguyen Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been supporting and encouraging safe production methods.

In the winter crop of 2021 - 2022, they offered supports to  25 ha of VietGAP safe vegetable production, 170 ha of fruit trees.

The province subsidised VNĐ 450,000 per a sào of potato seed, VND 150,000 per sào of zucchini, pumpkin seeds and VND 130,000 per sào of tomato and cucumber. In total, 290 ha of potato, 360 ha of zucchini, pumpkin and 290 ha of tomato and cucumber received subsidiary.

Up to now, Thai Nguyen province has planted more than 11,000 ha of crops of all kinds including 4,150 ha of corn and 6,900 ha of vegetables.

Nguyen Thi Hiep, Director of Binh Minh Cooperative, Nha Long Commune, Phu Binh District said that the cooperative had seven ha of vegetables of all kinds.

Recently, the prices of agricultural inputs and fertilizers have increased.

Unfavourable weather and heavy rain affected the production scheme.

“Currently, the selling price of the cooperative's vegetable products is high,” she said.

For example, cabbage costs VND 20,000 per kg, kohlrabi VND25,000 per kg, vegetables VND26,000 per kg, tomatoes from VND25,000 to VND30,000 per kilo, about VND 10,000 higher than the same period last year.

With these prices, farmers had an average profit of VND6 - 8 million per sào, she said, adding that it was a good level of income in current conditions.

Dinh Thi Thu, Director of Dong Cao Agricultural Service Cooperative, Pho Yen Town, said that the members of the cooperatives strived and planted all production areas to ensure the output and supply to the market in the coming months.

“Currently, vegetables are sold at good prices, thus farmers are confident to invest in production. The cooperatives are still maintaining the production plan, planting crops and diversifying crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, onions, lettuce, coriander, carrots, vegetables, spinach, and succulents. oysters, cabbage... to meet the market needs,” she said.

“To reduce input costs, the cooperatives encourage members the use of well-rotted organic fertilizers,” she said.

This year, the cooperatives signed sales contracts with several schools and safe food stores in the province, so the consumption was also more favourable, she said.

This year's winter crop, Phu Luong district planned to plant 580 ha of crops mostly in communes such as Dong Dat, Phan Me, Co Lung, Yen Do, Yen Lac.

Phan Van Tuong, Head of the district’s Agriculture Department said that to get high production results, the department coordinated with communes and towns to engage farmers in applying new scientific and technical advances and good agricultural practices on crops, especially on vegetables, tubers and fruits.

Irrigation works are regularly checked to ensure water supply for production areas.

Vu Van Phan, Director of Thai Nguyen Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Control Sub-Department, said that the unit has actively connected supply and demand for agricultural products to consumption systems such as supermarkets, stores or collective kitchens.

Up to now, the output of agricultural products produced in Thai Nguyen has met most of the consumption. To date, Thai Nguyen can expect a successful winter crop.