Agricultural production

Agricultural production is the main activity of the local people. In A Luoi district, the five main crops are acacia, rice, rubber, cassava, and banana. There are several other crops such as corn, peanuts, and vegetables, but they occupy a tiny area and do not have an essential role in the livelihood of the local people. The data from the annual statistics of 2017 and our own field trip about agricultural production is presented in Table 2.3.

According to the annual statistics of 2017 [4], acacia planting is the main forest activity of the local people. The planted area has been expanding, and this trend will likely be maintained in the future. The result of the survey in the field indicates that acacia is planted by more than 90% of agricultural households with an average area of one to two hectares per household. Moreover, this land use type also provides jobs (exploitation and transportation) for

local farmers who do not have much land or a steady job. A small trader normally purchases product, then transports it to companies to sell.

Rice is the main food crop for the local people. The total area of rice cultivation for each household is small in comparison with other regions and is divided into many different plots.

Rice productivity in A Luoi is the lowest within Thua Thien Hue Province because rice production mainly depends on rainfall. It is necessary to maintain and expand the existing rice area to ensure food security.

Rubber is a perennial industrial crop that has grown in Vietnam under natural conditions for a long time. In A Luoi district, however, rubber just started to be planted during the last 15 to 20 years. Initially, rubber was planted in small areas close to residential areas, where there is a convenient transportation system at the Hong Ha and Huong Nguyen communes. Later, along with the expansion of the rubber latex product market, rubber cultivation was expanded to many different areas. Although the labor value of rubber production is not very high, rubber can be harvested for a long time, ensuring a stable income. However, in A Luoi district, the low farming skills and lack of financial resources is a significant difficulty to cultivate rubber.

Cassava is a traditional crop of farmers who live in hilly areas. Initially, they planted cassava to use as food when other resources were not available. Currently, the local people cultivate cassava to sell to food manufacturers. Cassava does not need a high level of farming skills to cultivate, and they are often planted in poor quality soil. Cassava cultivation does not require financial investment and maintain time. Therefore, cassava will continue to be a vital crop of A Luoi district, even though the consumer market is unstable.

The banana is expected to be a crop for agricultural development in the future. Although the number of farmers planting banana is still small, it has increased gradually during the three last years. At present, banana from A Luoi is sold exclusively to supermarkets in Thua Thien Hue Province. Investment in finance and farming skills is needed for banana cultivation, and therefore is difficult to grow in the district.

Table 2.3. Agricultural production information of A Luoi district.

Criteria Acacia Rice Rubber Cassava Banana

Number of household 8,500 6,051 1,207 4,015 365

1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Decision approving the statistical results of land area in 2016 of Vietnam; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Ha Noi, 2017.

2. Department of Natural Resources and Environment of A Luoi district. Land Use Planning Project from 2010 to 2020; Department of Natural Resources and Environment of A Luoi district: A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, 2010.

3. United States Geological Survey. Digital Elevation, SRTM 1 Arc-Second Golbal. Raster, 2000 (1). https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/.

4. People's Committee of A Luoi district. Statistical year book: A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, 2005-2017.

5. National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection of Vietnam. Soil map of Thua Thien Hue province (1/100000); National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection of Vietnam: Ha Noi, 2005.

6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. World reference base for soil resources 2014. International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps; FAO: Rome, 2014.

7. Benjamin, J.G.; Nielsen, D.C.; Vigil, M.F. Quantifying effects of soil conditions on plant growth and crop production. Geoderma 2003, 116, 137–148, doi:10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00098-3.

8. Hirzel, J.; Matus, I. Effect of soil depth and increasing fertilization rate on yield and its components of two durum wheat varieties. Chilean J. Agric. Res. 2013, 73, 55–59, doi:10.4067/S0718-58392013000100008.

9. T.N. Nath. Soil Texture and Total Organic Matter content and Its influences on Soil Water Holding Capacity of some selected tea growing soils in Sivasagar district of Assam, India.

International Journal Chemical Science 2014, 12, 1419–1429.

10. Pham, T.G.; Nguyen, H.T.; Kappas, M. Assessment of soil quality indicators under different agricultural land uses and topographic aspects in Central Vietnam. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 2018, 6, 280–288, doi:10.1016/j.iswcr.2018.08.001.

11. Natural Resources and Environment Department of A Luoi district. Land Use Map of A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, (1/50000); Natural Resources and Environment Department of A Luoi district: A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, 2015.

12. National Assembly of Vietnam - Vietnamese Land Law. 45/2013/QH13, 2013.

Chapter 3. Assessment of soil quality indicators under different agricultural land uses