Ready for the Festival

Nguyen Van Dong, Deputy-Manager of Organization Board of The First Vietnam National Rice Festival: Ready for the Festival.

The First Vietnam National Rice Festival is coming near, the preparation is hurriedly done. The agricultural branch is an important unit in organizing contests, workshops, exhibition at the Festival. Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, Director of Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy- Manager of the Organization Committee of the First Vietnam National Rice Festival said to Hau Giang newspaper’s reporter:

The Agricultural Branch is assigned to be the Deputy- Manager of the Organization Committee of the First Vietnam National Rice Festival by the Provincial People’s Committee. Its four tasks are to organize the contest “Good Agricultural Encouraging Staff in the Mekong Delta”, The seminar “Vietnam Rice”, and “ Xa No Canal-The Rice Way of Hau Giang Region” and prepare the displaying stalls at the Festival. Until now the tasks are completed 80%. To the seminars of “ Vietnam Rice” and “Xa No Canal-The Rice Way of Hau Giang Region”, more than 200 invitation letters for each seminar is sent. To “Vietnam Rice” seminar, besides the participation of the nationwide provinces and cities there are international delegates and co-reports of (IRRI) International Rice Research Institute, (FAO) Food & Agriculture Organization. The mobilization, invitation of the displaying participation from nationwide provinces, institutes, schools is completed with the purpose of reappearing the rice of the three regions, the South, the Centre and the North. The organization, logistics steps are rather good, The co-reports of speakers shall be completed before November 20th. The “ Vietnam Rice” seminar has got the co-reports of the Southern Scientific & Technical Institute, the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute and addressing the result of selection and creation of rice varieties and development of crossing rice in the northern provinces.

* At the Festival, what special products are shown by the agricultural branch?

There are 5-7 high yielding rice varieties of short days, which are suitable to Hau Giang soil shall be presented. Besides, 3-4 previous local special ten month rice varieties shall be introduced to visitors from rice seeds step to growing, riping, paddy grain after harvesting, finished product rice. If there is any demand from visitors, farmers, there is a sector willing to supply the seeds at the festival time. Besides, The provincial special agricultural commodities can not be absent: Hau Giang red pargo (That Lat fish), Phu Huu five lash grapefruit (Nam Roi Grapefruit), Cau Duc pineapple, Hau Giang 2 Rice paddy, sugar cane. Besides displayed products, visitors can try the products, or buy the products from fresh to finished products for presents. If there is any demand from partners, The Agricultural branch is willing to supply a great quantity permanently.

* Sir, there shall be a new rice trading form in the occasion of the festival taken place, how is it?

Collecting agricultural tools for the Festival’s exhibition

In the scope of the Festival, The rice trading through internet shall be done in order to be familiar to the trading floor form. Currently the branch has had a discussion with Hau Giang Food JSC to be a pilot one for a foundation of coming trading floor. Hau Giang’s wish is to establish the trading floor for a rice converging place of The western sub-region of Hau river. Firstly, there is a mobilization from certain provincial and neighbouring enterprises for offering, trading through internet, if the result is feasible, the province shall make a proposal to the ministries, central branches for a project of trading floor, for a stable out put after the Festival.

* Sir, how is the collection of ancient agricultural tools for exhibition at the festival?

As the provincial People’s Committee’s guides, the collection of ancient agricultural tools is more successful than the plan. There are many agricultural tools of about 30-70 years found: mattocks, scythes, rice shellers, rice mortars, fanning wheels, the curvy cutting tool combined with fatal shears for harvesting tenth-month rice (Gioàng gaët luùa muøa), Rice transplanting piles, chair for pulling up young plants of rice… Besides, there is a discovery of certain handwriting papers for breaking fresh ground from 1909 which shall be displayed at the festival. The displaying purpose is to present visitors the life, activities of rice production of former and present farmers. In addition to, there shall be an exhibition of yields in pictures from birds, animals to alive animals: pythons, big pythons (nöa), a kind of turtle (cua ñinh) which are typical animals living in Hau Giang land.

*Why can Hau Giang province host the First Vietnam National Rice Festival while it is not a province of the biggest rice production in the country?

That Hau Giang province hosts the Festival this time is convincing because it is situated in the center of the West of Hau River, that is, the center of regional commodity distribution. The history has proved that Xa No Canal was the route of rice trade and lies in the national waterway. From the organizing the Festival this time, a future rice market will be established and put into operation. Considering the favourable conditions, the provincial authority has submitted the Festival’s proposal to the central Government and the proposal was approved. The remaining matter is how to organize the Festival perfectly. This is a chance for the province to gain experience in hosting big events and festivals for later use.

*An issue of concern now is that the cold season is coming, so the risk of the flu A/H1N1 to break out again is highly probable. What are the activities to prevent the pandemic?

At present, the provincial Public Health Department has formed inspection boards to supervise the job of vaccination and the spraying against bacteria in stables and pens at communes’ and towns’ level. Because the date of the Festival is near, animals to be slaughtered cannot be vaccinated. However, to prevent the reoccurring of the flu pandemic, the Public Health Department has called for the continuing of vaccination and spraying against bacteria, especially in places where the pandemic was present previously. It is important to carry out a comprehensive propaganda to raise people’s awareness of the pandemic so as to join forces to act against it. From now to the Festival’s date, the main task is to spray against bacteria and only new herds which are not to be slaughtered during the Festival’s time can be vaccinated. Additionally, poultry markets will soon be checked and cleaned regularly in order to keep the flu A/H5N1 pandemic under control during the Festival.

*Thank you very much!

by HOAI THANH