Winter crop production in 2023: Don't follow the crowd

The main products are corn and vegetables

Although the annual winter crop is not a highly anticipated production season due to unfavorable weather, Ha Tinh's agriculture always pays attention to directing localities to encourage people to plant a variety of crops to meet local needs and increase income per unit area.

According to the plan, the province strives to reach a total area of nearly 12,000ha for this year's winter crop. In which, maize is still the main crop with more than 4,200ha of corn for grain and more than 1,600ha for biomass; nearly 4,600 hectares of vegetables of all kinds; sweet potato trees of more than 1,400 hectares...

Based on the forecast of Ha Tinh Hydro-meteorological station, the production of the winter crop of 2023 is somewhat favorable because the rainy season is likely to come late and end earlier than the average of many years, the heavy rains are not much, and rain primary focus on the second half of September - October 2023. The winter-spring temperature in 2023 - 2024 is relatively high. The times of cold and damaging cold spells are not much.

However, the efficiency of winter crop production for many years has been low for many years, so people's psychology in investing in intensive farming and expanding the area is limited; large-scale production areas have not yet been established...

To achieve the target of winter crop area and output in 2023, the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed 13 districts, towns, and cities based on the seasonal framework and plant varieties proposed by the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, depending on the specific conditions of the locality to have a planting plan close to reality.

For areas that are not flooded and are active in seasonality, it is necessary to structure crops and varieties with high productivity, output, and economic value. Particularly in low-lying areas at risk of flooding, it is necessary to closely monitor weather changes to avoid floods, structure crops, short-term varieties to meet consumption needs, animal feed, or structure of late-winter tea - early spring.

"The province's perspective is to make the most of the area to produce winter crops, but not to follow the trend or mass production. Localities choose models and crops with output advantages to develop support policies," emphasized Nguyen Van Viet, Director of Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

According to Viet, corn is still an advantage, serving livestock and commercial corn products for consumers in the area, so mountainous districts such as Huong Son, Huong Khe, Vu Quang, and Duc Tho should focus on growing this crop.

Localities such as Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh, and Nghi Xuan... encourage the production of sticky corn with fresh corn in the form of pure planting or intercropping.

The structure of sweet potato plants in the highlands of 2-rice, sandy soil mixed with light meat in Thach Ha, Nghi Xuan, Loc Ha, and Cam Xuyen districts, in favorable weather conditions, is recommended to be arranged on peanut growing land but ensure timely harvest before the spring peanut production season.

For vegetables and fruits of all kinds, concentrated on land for specializing in vegetable cultivation, land for 2 rice fields, and garden land in all districts, cities, and towns. Continue to promote the role and experience of cooperatives and cooperative groups for fruit and vegetable production on coastal sand to produce effectively or encourage enterprises to invest in production.

“Organization and production orientation are important, but supporting the search for output for products is even more important. Therefore, localities need to proactively direct the establishment of planting areas eligible for issuance of codes to serve as a basis to attract businesses to cooperate and to consume products for people," said Nguyen Van Viet, Director of the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed.

Select effective objects and models to support

Huong Khe is a mountainous district that has been leading in Ha Tinh province for many years in the production of winter crops. On average, the district cultivates about 3,000 hectares each year, of which more than 2,300 hectares of corn.

According to Phan Ky, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Huong Khe district, the area's total herd of cattle and poultry is relatively large, so farmers have used maize production for a long time, not waiting for the winter crop to produce. Currently, the locality focuses on supporting the model of processing corn silage for livestock.

Sharing the same opinion, Le Ngoc Ha, Vice Chairman of Cam Xuyen District People's Committee, said that the policy of supporting a small number of seed prices or each small and mass model will not develop into an effective, specialized winter crop growing area.