Illustrative image (Photo: baoyenbai.com.vn) YenBai (VNA) – Mu Cang Chai district of the northern mountainousprovince of Yen Bai, well-known for its impressive terrace fields, is lookingto planting rapeseed (Brassica napus) as a new way to raise local incomes whileboosting tourism.
Theterraced fields in the district attract large crowds of tourists during therice harvest season in mid-September, but during the other time of the year,local residents still rely on farming as their main livelihood. Due to coldweather and a lack of water, the local Mong people only cultivate one rice cropa year, leaving the fields empty the other time of the year.
Lastyear, the district experimented with planting rapeseed on two hectares of landwith optimistic results, according to Luong Van Thu, deputy head of theAgriculture and Rural Development Division of Mu Cang Chai District.
Therefore,Mu Cang Chai encouraged farmers to grow rapeseed on 500 hectares out of 1,600hectares of agricultural land in the district this year. The area is usuallyleft uncultivated during the winter-spring crop.
The plantis expected to bloom across the terraced fields in February and March, creatinga new face of the region, attracting tourists to the mountain land.
Locally-grownrapeseed also produces two tonnes of oil per hectare, bringing additionalincome to locals.-VNA
VNA
