Currently, the province's rice output reaches more than 3.1 million tons/year, of which Dong Thap Muoi accounts for over 80%

From wasteland

About 40 years ago, the province's Dong Thap Muoi region was still wild. Farmers grew one rice crop each year but with unstable productivity. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (Vinh Dai commune, Tan Hung district) recalled: "In the past, this place was very wild! People lived scattered along the edge of the forest. During the 6 months of flooding, the whole area was submerged in a vast sea of water, many places were 2-3m deep. The dry season was harsh, the sun was scorching hot, the soil was red with alum, there was no fresh water to drink".

As for production, Mr. Dung said that in the first few crops, when the rice plants had just grown a hand's span, it rained and the soil was full of alum, killing them all, so he had to take the reserved rice and sow again. Sometimes, before the rice had time to grow, the rats bit and destroyed them all. Acid sulfate soil, lack of fresh water, annual floods and pests have forced many households to abandon their land and fields, returning home in poverty despite their great efforts.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (Vinh Dai commune, Tan Hung district), thanks to the State's investment in irrigation systems and acid sulfate washing, productivity has increased 3-5 times. Currently, his family's more than 4 hectares of rice yield a profit of more than 250 million VND/year

Although nearly 40 years have passed, when recalling the story of land reclamation, Mr. Nguyen Huu Khanh (70 years old, residing in Duc Tan commune, Tan Tru district) is still haunted. Mr. Khanh said: "In 1988, I and many people in Duc Tan commune carried rice bags and hoes to the border district of Vinh Hung to reclaim land and start a business. We tried to stay for several years but the land still could not grow anything."

In the past, the Dong Thap Muoi area was wild, with grass growing higher than people's heads. The land is heavily contaminated with alum, with only reed grass, sedge and cajuput. In the dry season, the sun burns the fields, and in the flood season, the water floods the fields. “Many people came here to make a living but could not survive because of the harsh nature, the barren land, contaminated with alum; the rice died, while squash and luffa could not survive either. Then many people quietly left this harsh land to return to their hometowns,” Mr. Khanh recalled.

Facing those difficulties, provincial leaders discussed ways to effectively exploit the Dong Thap Muoi region. Accordingly, the province focused on immediate and long-term strategies on issues such as restoration, land reclamation to expand the agricultural, forestry and fishery production area, creating conditions to convert long-term, low-yield, unstable seasonal rice to short-term rice to increase productivity; invest in socio-economic infrastructure; focus on promoting the development of irrigation, transportation, construction of electricity systems, post and telecommunications, schools, clinics, residential clusters and routes to mobilize and redistribute population, etc.

To implement the above issues, the province has proposed many solutions. In particular, the province mobilizes residents from the southern and eastern districts, mobilizes youth volunteers and economic troops to build irrigation works. Works serving daily life were also completed one after another.

To a big rice granary

Dong Thap Muoi really turned over and became a big rice granary after the Party and the State had a program to exploit the area from 1985-1995. From 1996 onwards, along with continued investment in development, especially science and technology, Dong Thap Muoi was given more strength to develop faster and stronger. The whole area no longer has fallow land, crop productivity is increasing. In particular, in recent years, rice productivity in some places has reached 8-10 tons/hectare, the average summer-autumn rice crop is 6-7 tons/hectare, winter-spring rice crop is 8-9 tons/hectare, becoming a big rice granary of the province.

Applying mechanization to production

Mr. Dung's family currently cultivates more than 4 hectares of rice in 3 crops. Each year, after deducting production costs, his family has a profit of more than 250 million VND. “Thanks to the state’s investment in irrigation systems and alum-washing canals, rice productivity has increased 3-5 times. Before, there were no canals, the highest yield was about 2 tons/hectare, and only one crop could be grown, but now 7-8 tons/hectare/crop is normal. Even every year, many areas grow rice 3 times, contributing to increased productivity and output,” said Mr. Dung.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment - Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, in 1980, the province’s food output was about 500,000-600,000 tons, now this number has reached more than 3.1 million tons. Of which, the Dong Thap Muoi area accounts for more than 80%, becoming a large rice granary of the whole province. This is the result of synchronous investment in production infrastructure, expanding the planting area of high-quality rice varieties, applying machinery, science and technology to production.

Currently, the agricultural sector continues to invest in building and developing a synchronous and modern irrigation system to serve production; focusing on developing the collective economy in a practical and effective direction; focusing on high-quality rice production; developing high-tech agricultural production associated with restructuring the agricultural sector and the Sustainable Development Project of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta in the province, contributing to promoting economic development, expanding cultivation, production, improving the quality of life; etc.

Investing in irrigation systems to serve production

The time when there was not enough food to eat, not enough clothes to wear has passed, the miracle of land reclamation, restoration, and increasing rice crops on the wasteland of the Mekong Delta has gradually faded into the past. Now, the Mekong Delta has become the largest rice granary of the province thanks to the hands and minds of people and the correct policy of exploiting the Mekong Delta by the Party and the State./.

Reported by Trung Kien

Translated by NT