In the previous season, the family of Lò Thị Xoan in Thanh Nưa commune experimented with planting the TĐ25 rice variety, commonly known as “Capital rice,” which had not yet been included in the province’s official variety structure. Although it had a short growth period and developed quickly with few pests in the early stages, this variety revealed many limitations during the heading stage, such as a high rate of flat grains and unremarkable rice quality, leading to low productivity.

Learning from that experience, Lò Thị Xoan’s family chose rice varieties according to the recommended structure for this year’s winter-spring crop and proactively cared for them from the start. She shared that after the previous crop failed to reach the desired yield on her 1,200m2 plot, the family switched to varieties recommended by the agricultural sector. As soon as the rice took root, they began weeding, balanced fertilization, maintaining appropriate water levels, and frequently visiting the fields to detect and prevent pests promptly.

In the 2025 - 2026 winter-spring crop, Thanh Nưa commune has sown more than 1,170 hectares of rice, primarily using recommended varieties such as J02, nếp 87, 97, and Đài thơm 8. Currently, the rice is in the tillering stage and growing steadily.

To ensure production efficiency, the commune authorities are promoting dissemination and technical guidance, advising farmers to care for the rice according to the correct process based on each growth stage and cultivation condition to help the plants develop evenly and limit pests.

Following previous successful seasons, Mường Ảng commune has sown 337 hectares of rice for this crop. At this time, the rice area in the locality is growing well and evenly across different planting stages. Lù Văn Cường, Vice Head of the Economic Office of Mường Ảng commune, shared that through field inspections, the pest situation is basically under control with no harmful subjects arising yet. However, since the weather is forecast to be complex, there are potential risks of golden apple snails, root suffocation, root pests, and rats. Therefore, the commune has been strengthening inspections and closely monitoring the growth progress to provide timely recommendations while guiding farmers to apply appropriate prevention measures early to minimize damage and ensure yield.

Along with pest control, the agricultural sector and local authorities are guiding people to proactively manage water in the fields and keep water levels suitable for each growth stage to ensure sufficient water for tillering and limit local waterlogging or prolonged drought. Phan Văn Vượng from the Irrigation and Disaster Prevention Department stated that the unit has coordinated with communes to review cultivation areas and determine irrigation needs for each region and stage as a basis for adjusting the water supply schedule according to weather developments. Priority is given to key areas, remote areas, and two-crop rice production zones.

Managing and operating 34 irrigation works, including 13 reservoirs, the Điện Biên Irrigation Management LLC is responsible for ensuring water for nearly 5,000 hectares of rice during the 2025 - 2026 winter-spring crop.

To ensure water sources for production, the company proactively monitors weather developments, assesses water storage capacity at each work, and balances it with the actual demand of the people to build flexible irrigation plans. Parallel to regulating water, the unit frequently organizes dredging to ensure a smooth flow in canals. For small reservoirs with low water levels, the company arranges pumping systems to support bringing water from the reservoir into the canals to provide timely water to the fields.

Vũ Xuân Viễn, Vice Director of the company, said that the unit focuses on reasonable water regulation according to growth stages to provide enough flow for production while maintaining a regular inspection regime at key nodes and canals to detect and handle incidents promptly. They also increase coordination with local authorities to guide people in using water economically and effectively while proactively adjusting water supply plans in case of adverse weather.