Thuan Bac effectively exploits irrigation works to serve production

Thuan Bac district has a cultivated land fund of over 8,600 hectares. In addition to 5 irrigation reservoirs, the district also has dozens of river systems, dams, and pumping stations scattered throughout the communes, contributing to proactive irrigation water sources for 62% of the annual crop production area. Mr. Nguyen Chau Canh, Head of the district's Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: The entire irrigation system invested in and put into use has a great impact on local agricultural production, not only helping farmers proactively expand their cultivated area but also boldly applying crop rotation and increasing cropping; many new and effective models have been replicated, forming large-scale concentrated production areas with high productivity and product quality.

Farmers in Loi Hai commune (Thuan Bac) plant winter-spring crops.

Thanks to the synchronous investment in the irrigation system along with reasonable exploitation and use, agricultural production in localities has gradually developed. According to Mr. Chau Van Nho, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Son commune, in 2005, the Song Trau reservoir irrigation project with a capacity of over 31 million m3 of water was put into use. The project also has a water supply system for level 1 and level 2 canals and utilizes water from the Bac canal system, annually providing irrigation water for nearly 1,400 hectares of agricultural land in the commune. Thanks to that, in recent years, farmers have had more conditions to change crop structure, increase land use coefficient, and farmers' lives have also improved significantly. In the mountainous areas of Phuoc Khang and Phuoc Chien, water resources were very difficult in the past. Since the Ba Rau, Song Trau, Ma Trai reservoirs and a number of dam projects were built, the cultivated area has been continuously expanded, many fields that could not produce have now increased to 2-3 crops/year. Ms. Katơr Thị Lên in Da Mai Duoi village, Phuoc Khang commune shared: Benefiting from the water source from the irrigation reservoir, people's lives have changed a lot, the high fields that were mostly abandoned before have now been put into production of rice, corn and beans of all kinds for a stable income.

Song Trau irrigation reservoir (Thuan Bac). Photo: Van Mien

In order for water from irrigation works to reach the fields, in addition to the State's support capital, Thuan Bac district also focuses on allocating funds and mobilizing resources from people to renovate, upgrade and consolidate canals. In the period of 2020-2025, the total cost of implementing intra-field irrigation works to serve production activities reached nearly 302 billion VND, contributing to creating a stable source of irrigation water for local key crops such as rice, hybrid corn, green beans, sesame, aloe vera, custard apple, etc. In addition, the District People's Committee directed specialized departments to coordinate with communes to mobilize people to periodically dredge and clear the flow, thanks to which the progress of sowing crops always achieved high results. In the winter-spring crop this year alone, the whole district planted 3,599 hectares of various crops. Of which, rice area accounts for 2,862ha, corn 210ha, vegetables and beans of all kinds 301ha, average food output is estimated at over 50,000 tons/year; production value of the water-controlled area reaches over 110 million/ha/year.

In order to improve irrigation activities in the coming time, Thuan Bac district continues to effectively combine different capital sources to gradually complete irrigation infrastructure. Promote propaganda to raise people's awareness of using and maintaining works after investment, regularly inspect and promptly repair damaged areas; organize periodic dredging, regulate water reasonably, ensure irrigation water throughout the crop season, helping crops grow stably.

Hong Lam

Source: https://baoninhthuan.com.vn/news/152392p1c25/thuan-bac-khai-thac-hieu-qua-cong-trinh-thuy-loi-phuc-vu-san-xuat.htm