Kien Giang authorities have returned 1,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Long Xuyen quadrangle to local farmers whose land was previously revoked and rented out to dozens of companies, due to the fact that the land was improperly used and ruined by the illegal activities of these companies.

From 2004-2008, Kien Giang authorities implemented a policy which allowed 12 companies to rent the 1,700-hectare agricultural land area in the Long Xuyen quadrangle, where they promised to build paddies and aquaculture farms.

However, an inspection carried out in 2011 showed that the companies had not used the land as promised. Only a small part of this area was used to construct farms while the rest was left fallow or rented out to a third party. 

Furthermore, since most of their land had been confiscated, farmers were pushed into poverty. They had no land to cultivate and were unable to support themselves.

Therefore, the local authority decided return 1,000 hectares to its original owners.

Giang Quang (1st, left), vice chairman of Hon Dat District government in Kien Giang Province, gives the decision to return land to a local farmer. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Cheerful farmers

Farmers in Hon Dat and Kien Luong districts in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle are in a cheerful mood since they finally have their own land after years of working on rented areas to earn meager wages.

Tran Van Binh, one of the local farmers who got land back, is now too busy to prepare for his first crop. He shared, “I worked for landowners for 20 years, earning a small wage that was never enough to support my family. Hence, two of my three children had to quit school years ago. Fortunately I have just been given land back, so I hope our life will be better in the future.”

Hundreds more farmers have gotten land back over the past year. Some of them already harvested their first crop last summer. “I reaped about five tons per hectare last season.

Because this land was left fallow for a while when it still belonged to the companies, it became extremely impoverished and needs to be improved. However, I would rather cultivate on my poor lands than work on rented ones”, a farmer said.

Since last year a major part of the agricultural land revoked from the companies has been changed significantly. There are more and more paddy fields being grown in this area, instead of wild and fallow meadows.

Farmer Pham Van Ho said with satisfied smile, “Since we received the land back, we have spent eight million VND, which is almost our entire savings, and borrowed money to rent an agrimotor and raze the land’s surface to prepare for our crops. We are trying to improve our lands’ quality as well as make a profit from it.”

After receiving the land, the local people in Hon Dat District immediately start the preparation work on the area for the coming winter-spring crop. Photo: Tuoi Tre.

Other difficulties

Le Van Hien, a local authority, said, “We have seized 1,000 hectares from businesses and shared them with landless farmers. However, there are still many difficulties. One is that farmers cannot receive equal areas of land. Each of the 130 families in Kien Luong district has gotten back about two to three hectares of agricultural land and each of the 149 families in Hon Dat district has received one hectare, which was revoked from the Kien Dung company”.

To explain why there is a difference in the area farmers are receiving, Lam Hoang Sa, vice-president of Kien Giang province, said, “We would like to share at least three hectares for each farmer in both Hon Dat and Kien Luong district. However, the revoked land area, especially in Hon Dat district, is very limited and not enough to meet all demands. Therefore, each farmer must receive less than what they expected.”

In addition, it is estimated that every hectare of this land costs about seven to eight million VND to be reinvested. The further away the land is located from irrigation canals, the more money farmers need to spend. Moreover, to begin cultivating, they also need seed rice, fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide, which will cost a lot and could mean big trouble for these needy and poverty-stricken farmers.

Without government help, farmers are struggling with this seemingly insolvable problem. Farmer Hinh Phuoc Van, for example, revealed his temporary solution, “I intend to lease my two-hectares so that it will be invested in and improved for a while before I get it back.”

However, according to Sa, this is not a feasible solution since it will bring more risks than benefits. “In some cases, after a while of leasing out their land, farmers were unable to get it back because they did not sign any contract at the beginning. Farmers who have no knowledge about rules and laws may lose their land forever”, he said.

Ngo Van nam, president of Kien Binh commune, said, “The land must be reinvested and improved before cultivating. Therefore, unless there is a practical policy to support the initial capital for farmers, they will sell, lease or lend their land. Therefore, we are calling upon banks to offer these farmers loans with low interest.”

“We don’t have such large financial resources to help our farmers. All we can do is renew and repair the irrigation canal system to provide water for their fields”, Sa affirmed.