Buzz
As October approaches, it marks the highland rice harvesting season. Not only in the remote Northwest, but also in Đắk Nông, the bustling activities of reaping, threshing, and drying are underway.
Discovering Đắk Nông during the golden rice season
We had the privilege to immerse ourselves in a Tây Nguyên golden season in Cư Jút district, Đắk Nông.
On a September night, we ventured into a small village in the depths of Cư Jút district amidst the blurry glow of motorcycle lights. Along the roadside, locals set up tarps and lit lamps. In the distance, a harvester hummed as it worked tirelessly.
Stopping to inquire about the nocturnal harvesting, the locals explained, “Due to irregular weather patterns this season, whenever the weather permits, the harvesters go to work. Whether day or night, the rice goes into sacks and is brought to the drying yard without hesitation.”
The following day brings warm sunshine. On the road from the small village in the district to the center of Ea Tling town, we once again navigate through red dirt alleys adorned with lush straw (this highland area hasn't adopted straw and rice bundling machines yet), grains covering home courtyards, roadsides... Everyone is cheerful because of the sunny weather.
A friendly local greets us with a smile, saying, “We must seize the opportunity to dry the rice for milling. October's weather brings morning sun and evening rain. After harvesting the grains, we desperately need a sunny spell for proper drying.”
At noon, we are invited to savor freshly harvested rice. The rice is slightly dry and firm but exquisitely sweet. Most families in Đắk Nông have milling machines. After harvesting, the rice is bagged, dried, and taken for milling, providing bran for livestock and clean rice for the family.
The hospitable hostess shares that due to watching the news and reading newspapers, she fears food contamination. Everything consumed in the house is grown in the garden. She adds that the rice we are enjoying is a type of irrigated rice, specifically a drought-resistant variety (hybrid rice).
The waterlogged rice fields in Đắk Nông predominantly rest on black basalt soil, resulting in sturdy grains despite fewer blooms. As for upland rice, it's scarce, mainly cultivated to preserve seeds on high and distant mountain fields, used for ceremonies during the new rice season.
Seeing our curiosity, the hostess guides us to the embankment of Đắk Drông near the 14th hamlet in Cư Jút district. There, a valley is immersed in the hue of ripe rice, as she explains the uniqueness of the highland sun and wind causing dual-season rice cultivation—early and late in the rainy season.
From April to December, locals make the most of the heaven-sent rain. The harvest season here unfolds rapidly, thanks to the aid of motorized harvesters, typically completed in just a few sessions with plowing and rice transport machines. Bags of harvested rice are quickly spread out in yards and on home verandas for timely drying.
As the sunny season arrives, the land takes a break. Even cultivation requires water pumping from wells, a laborious task.
Additional Information
Cư Jút district is situated along National Highway 14, 20km southwest of Buon Ma Thuot City (Dak Lak) and 110km north of Gia Nghia Town, in the northern part of Dak Nong province. It shares a 20km border with Pecchamda district in Mundulkiri province, Cambodia.
The district comprises 8 administrative units, including Truc Son, Nam Dong, Tam Thang, Ea Po, Dak Wil, Cu Knia, Dak Drong, and the township of Ea Tling.
The Cư Jút region is shaped by the geological features of the plateau, with a relatively flat terrain gradually sloping from west to east and from south to north, with an average elevation of about 330m. The annual rainfall in the area is substantial, averaging between 1,700 and 1,800mm, and the landscape is heavily cut by numerous rivers and streams.
Cư Jút embodies the tropical highland climate with distinct monsoons, experiencing two pronounced seasons. The rainy season spans from May to October, concentrating 90% of the annual rainfall. During this period, crops flourish. The dry season, from November to April, sees negligible rainfall, coupled with the north-eastern monsoon, resulting in high evaporation rates, leading to dry conditions and stunted vegetation growth.
As reported by Tuoi Tre
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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook
