Improve land use efficiency

Promoting intensive farming in San Thang commune (Lai Chau city) in recent years has contributed to increasing land use efficiency and economic value per unit area. Thanks to that, it has created a sustainable economic development direction for farmers.

Every time we go down to Xeo Xin Chai village, we feel the richness of the land here. Every season, from the fields to the gardens, they are covered with the green color of corn, rice, and vegetables. Village chief Vu Van Nhip said: Currently, people in the village are focusing on planting summer-autumn corn and taking care of spring-summer corn. Previously, households mainly cultivated the winter-spring rice crop. To improve the efficiency of land use, the village propagated and encouraged intensive farming and intercropping of corn and vegetables. Thanks to that, over 50 hectares of agricultural land, households competed in production with the motto "not letting the land rest"; income is increasingly improving with an average of more than 50 million VND/person/year.
Or like Thanh Cong village, with 40 hectares of tea, it is becoming one of the strong crops, creating the main source of income for many households. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan shared: My family cultivates nearly 1 hectare of tea, each harvest about 40 - 50 quintals of fresh tea buds. For nearly 10 years now, tea has helped my family have a stable income, with an average profit of more than 50 million VND/year. My family also grows 3 crops of corn for livestock and sale to the market.
In recent years, many households in San Thang commune have changed crops, created new agricultural products associated with improving mixed gardens and developing agricultural products. Walking along the roads and alleys of the commune, we noticed that even in difficult-to-cultivate areas on fields, hills, and home gardens, people take advantage of growing grass for animal feed.

Thanh Cong village people (San Thang commune) grow corn in the spring-summer crop.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Huong - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of San Thang commune, to improve the efficiency of land use, the commune focuses on propaganda, mobilization, and orientation for people to change the crop structure, focusing on intensive cultivation. For example, 1 hectare of land only grows rice once a year, each year harvests 50 million VND, but intensive cultivation of corn or other crops will double or more income. One or several households that do it effectively will create a spillover effect. That is why currently, the cultivated land in the commune is focused on production by people to ensure the season with a variety of crops. The commune also encourages people to increase production according to their needs and capabilities. During the production process, the commune's agricultural staff closely follows the fields, instructs people to sow and plant according to the right time frame and schedule; applies science and technology in cultivation and harvesting; and focuses on measures to prevent and control pests and diseases. Currently, the prolonged heat wave is right at the time of planting the summer-autumn corn crop. The commune has also propagated and reminded people to focus on implementing solutions to prevent and combat drought for crops.
San Thang commune has a total area of grain crops of 553.5 hectares, with an output of 2,797 tons (of which rice is 799.1 tons, corn is 1,997.8 tons); color crops are 87 hectares with an output of 869.4 tons. To ensure successful crops, the commune People's Committee has directed the villages to organize households to register for crop varieties; dredge and repair irrigation canals; apply scientific and technical advances in production, and develop specialized production areas. Thanks to that, by the end of 2023, the average income per capita of the commune will reach 55 million VND/year; the poverty rate will decrease to 1.69%.

Source