Increase production and improve the efficiency of winter-spring rice cultivation

Can Tho City as well as localities in the Mekong Delta are preparing to produce the main rice crop of the year - winter-spring 2025-2026. This rice crop is assessed to be favorable in terms of weather, water, and alluvium deposited after the flood season. However, the local agricultural sector also recommends that farmers produce according to the sowing schedule, avoid planthoppers, prevent pests, and apply advanced science and technology in production, contributing to improving efficiency and increasing profits from rice...

The rice production model applying digital technology and modern mechanization in production is deployed in Can Tho city.

Favorable weather

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), the forecast of rainfall trends from October and November 2025 appears with total rainfall in most areas across the country, higher than the average of many years from 10-30%; in December 2025, total rainfall in common areas is higher than the average of many years from 10-50mm. Particularly in the Mekong River basin, from October and November 2025, total rainfall in the upstream area is generally lower than the average of many years from 5-10%, in the middle and downstream areas is higher from 10-30% than the average of many years. In December 2025, the total rainfall in the upstream area is generally 10-20% lower than the average of many years, the midstream area is approximately at the average of many years, the downstream area is 5-15% higher than the average of many years. Warnings of dangerous weather such as storms and tropical depressions from October to December 2025 appearing in the East Sea and affecting our country are likely to be higher than the average of many years, affecting agricultural production in the whole country and the Mekong Delta region.

In Can Tho City, the autumn-winter rice crop is in full swing. Rain, storms, and whirlwinds have affected the harvesting process. According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City, the autumn-winter rice crop in the whole city has been planted on 95,066 hectares, reaching 106% of the plan, of which the main varieties are OM5451, OM18, Dai Thom 8, ST24... By early October 2025, the whole city has harvested 32,224 hectares, with an estimated yield of 55.03 quintals/hectare, equivalent to the same period in 2024, with an estimated output of 178,199 tons. It is expected that by November 15, 2025, the city will have completed the autumn-winter rice crop.

Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hieu, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City, said: In order to protect the remaining autumn-winter rice area (not harvested yet), avoiding the impact of unfavorable weather and pest factors, the local agricultural sector needs to regularly update weather and hydrometeorological developments, inform people to proactively respond through many channels such as social networks, loudspeakers, radio and television, agricultural weather bulletins, etc. For ripe rice areas, it is necessary to quickly and neatly harvest to avoid damage caused by rain and storms. For green, ripe rice fields, farmers need to regularly visit the fields, detect and promptly handle important pests to minimize damage caused by pests; apply scientific and technical advances of 1 must 5 reductions, drain water mid-season to help rice roots grow deep and withstand unfavorable weather conditions; Avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer, increase the use of fertilizers containing potassium, calcium, silicon to help the rice plants become stronger, limit lodging due to rain, storms...

The Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City recommends that when the rice is ripe, comprehensive rat extermination measures should be implemented to protect productivity, with emphasis on safety measures such as trapping crops, setting lure traps, biological rat baits, etc. Absolutely do not use electric traps, lubricants, or banned drugs, or drugs not on the list of drugs permitted for use in Vietnam to kill rats. It is necessary to regularly and continuously organize community rat extermination campaigns; organize rat extermination in fields, along residential areas, on canal banks, orchard embankments, and abandoned land areas, etc.

Comply with recommendations of the Agriculture sector

In the 2025-2026 winter-spring rice crop, Can Tho City plans to plant 290,747 hectares of rice and harvest more than 2.064 million tons of rice. To ensure productivity, quality and pest safety, and successfully implement the winter-spring rice production plan, the City Department of Agriculture and Environment recommends: After harvesting the 2025 autumn-winter rice crop, localities should actively encourage farmers to switch to growing crops on ineffective rice land. For localities that cannot plant crops, they should plow and dry the soil to destroy pathogens remaining in the fields and reduce the risk of organic poisoning... Note that the isolation period between the autumn-winter crop and the winter-spring crop must be at least 3 weeks.

Localities arrange the crop season based on the city's crop schedule combined with the measure of "Sowing to avoid brown planthoppers, simultaneously, focusing on each region, each field, paying attention to the drought situation at the beginning of the season", directing not to sow for a long time, not to let many rice fields intermingle in the same field. The remaining winter-spring rice sowing schedule for 2025-2026 in Can Tho City is from November 10 to November 17; and from December 1 to December 12. Localities need to closely monitor the local brown planthoppers and the migratory brown planthopper situation in combination with the hydrological regime to develop a specific crop schedule for the locality. The rice variety structure for the winter-spring crop of 2025-2026 ensures balance, in accordance with production and market realities; Focus on producing high-quality rice varieties such as OM18, OM5451, OM429, OM380... Fragrant rice varieties - specialties ST, Dai Thom 8, RVT, Tai Nguyen mua... Rice varieties with average and good tolerance to salinity such as OM4900, OM6976, OM9577, OM576 and ST group...

Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hieu said that the city's Department of Agriculture recommends that localities need to arrange the crop early (finish sowing winter-spring rice at the end of December) to avoid salinity and drought at the end of the crop in areas at high risk of being affected, especially in areas under the Long Phu Tiep Nhut project. Guide, support, and recommend farmers to apply the technical packages of 3 reductions, 3 increases, 1 must, 5 reductions to reduce input costs such as reducing the amount of seeds sown, using fertilizers reasonably and economically, increasing the use of organic fertilizers, and only conducting pest control when reaching the prevention threshold as recommended by specialized agencies. Coordinate with specialized units to promote the transfer of science and technology, guide farmers to produce in a safe direction, ensure quality, and gradually meet market requirements. Strengthen coordination and production linkage in each field, each cooperative, and cooperative group; Coordinate with relevant units to implement traceability for each field when needed...

For the 2025-2026 winter-spring rice crop, which has been sown early, in the seedling and tillering stages, it is necessary to have a reasonable water management regime, fertilizer amount and care regime, paying attention to early-season pests such as golden apple snails, rice leafhoppers, etc. Only use pesticides when reaching the prevention threshold, and minimize the use of chemical pesticides to prevent pests and planthoppers when the rice plants are under 40 days old...

Article and photos: HA VAN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tang-cuong-san-xuat-nang-cao-hieu-qua-canh-tac-vu-lua-dong-xuan-a192258.html