Farmers in Tien Giang province in recent years have rotated other crops with rice in their rice fields, earning higher incomes. (Photo: VNA) Tien Giang (VNS/VNA) - Facing water shortages, farmers in the MekongDelta province of Tien Giang have grown corn on nearly 2,000ha of rice fieldsfor the 2018-19 winter-spring crop.
Farmers have harvested 2.6 tonnes of corn per ha and earned a profit of morethan 56 million VND (2,400 USD) per ha for the winter-spring crop, 3.1 timeshigher than the profit from rice, according to the province’s Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development.
Most of the rice fields that switched to corn are located in drought-prone andsaltwater-affected areas, including the coastal area of Go Cong and islets.
Hai Cau, who rotated rice and corn on his 2,500 sq.m rice field in Go Cong town,said he had previously planted three rice crops a year and faced diseaseoutbreaks, high production costs and declining profits.
Under the encouragement of local authorities, Cau began rotating growing riceand corn and made high profits from corn.
In the 2018-2019 winter-spring crop, he earned a profit of nearly 15 million VND (646USD) from corn, he said.
He plans to completely switch to corn on his rice field. The maturing period of corn is shorter than rice, so farmers can grow up tofour corn crops a year. In addition, corn is resistant to drought and can begrown in areas that lack water.
In recent years, the department has encouraged rice farmers in areas that facewater shortages to switch to drought-resistant crops, especially corn.
To encourage the switch, the department has organised agriculture extensionactivities, providing farming techniques and establishing effectivecorn-farming models for farmers to visit.
The province’s Agriculture Extension Centre has set up rice-corn model field inGo Cong town to teach farmers intensive corn farming techniques that result inhigh yields.
The switch to corn has occurred mostly in the coastal area of Go Cong, whichincludes Go Cong town, Go Cong Dong and Go Cong Tay districts and a part of ChoGao district.
In the province, farmers grow two corn crops and one rice crop a year, or onecorn crop and two rice crops a year.
Farmers grow many corn varieties, including waxy corn and American corn. Theprovince’s corn is used for eating and for making animal feed.
Cho Gao, Go Cong Tay and Chau Thanh districts have the largest area of corn inthe province.
Besides harvesting corns, farmers earn additional income from using cornby-products like trunks and leaves to feed oxen, cows, goats and othergrass-eating animals.–VNS/VNA
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