Farmer Tran De brings color to the fields

Amid the harsh sunlight of the dry season in March 2025, the fields at the foot of the rice fields are still green, promising a bumper crop. Mr. Thach Nuol - Bung Chong hamlet, Tai Van commune planted nearly 3 hectares of watermelon, which has been growing for more than 45 days. Thanks to the guaranteed irrigation water source and favorable weather, the watermelons are growing quite well. The melons are currently bearing fruit, expected to be harvested in mid-April. Mr. Thach Nuol shared: “At this time, I am not growing the third rice crop because I am afraid of the effects of drought and salinity. I decided to grow watermelons to earn income for my family, waiting for the rain to come to prepare the land for the upcoming Summer-Autumn rice crop.”

Farmers in Tran De district (Soc Trang) bring color to the fields. Photo: VAN SONG

In recent times, Tran De district has always done a good job of irrigation in the field combined with rural transportation in the dry season, ensuring irrigation water sources in production. At the same time, it has directed specialized departments to organize many training courses and seminars on planting colors, selecting varieties suitable to market requirements, expanding and establishing color-growing linkage groups, finding output for products, avoiding the situation of good harvest and falling prices. Since the beginning of the year, farmers in the district have planted more than 1,590 hectares of colors and 3,600 meters of straw mushroom tissue, of which the colors under the fields are more than 49 hectares, mainly watermelon, green onions, squash and okra.

Mr. Son Phuol - Bung Chong hamlet, Tai Van commune shared: "Around the end of February of the solar calendar, after harvesting the winter-spring rice, many farmers in Bung Chong hamlet took the opportunity to prepare the land, dig ditches to bring water to the fields to grow crops, mainly watermelon and okra to earn extra income. Thanks to the dredged irrigation canal, the water source is also guaranteed for farmers to irrigate."

Ms. Phan Bach Van - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tran De district said: "Tran De is a district located in a closed irrigation area, so it will be affected if salinity intrusion and local fresh water shortage occurs in the dry season. Therefore, every year, the sector has proactively advised the District People's Committee to develop a response plan. At the same time, regularly monitor and update information on salinity on rivers, canals and ditches to promptly notify people to proactively prevent. Operate water supply and water retention works and have a plan to store water when salinity is at an acceptable level. Arrange the structure of crops, plants and livestock in accordance with the response capacity of water sources. Coordinate with the People's Committees of communes and towns to effectively implement internal irrigation work to store fresh water for people's production. The unit also recommends that people do not produce the third rice crop, instead, bring crops to the fields to increase household income".

Bringing color to the rice fields not only solves jobs and increases income for farmers but also promotes agricultural production to adapt to climate change, limiting the production of the third rice crop in the current drought and salinity conditions.

RIVER CULTURE

Source: https://baosoctrang.org.vn/nong-nghiep/202503/nong-dan-tran-de-dua-mau-xuong-chan-ruong-abd1a97/