A brief look at plowing

Soil preparation is a mandatory step before rice cultivation. One of the most effective traditional farming tools was the plow, an iconic image of rural Vietnam. Beyond its functional role, the sight of a buffalo leading a plow has become a cultural symbol of the countryside. The Vietnamese proverb "Cày sâu cuốc bẫu" not only conveys agricultural wisdom but also reflects the diligence and perseverance of farmers.

Plows are essential in soil preparation, helping to clear, turn, and aerate the soil. Traditional plows were made of wood with iron blades. In the Mekong Delta, including Cần Thơ, there were several common types: cày đọi, cày bắp, and cày mên. Each had key components such as the body, shaft, handle, and plowshare.

Cày đọi: This type had a wooden body, about 1.4 meters long, blending the Vietnamese chìa vôi plow with Cham plowing techniques. It required two buffaloes for muddy fields and was balanced by a wooden beam called the đọi.

Cày bắp: Derived from Khmer plows, it featured a long shaft and large plowshare. Originally lacking a stabilizing beam, it was later modified by Vietnamese farmers to improve stability.

Cày mên: Made from chò wood, this plow used mortise and tenon joints for assembly. Khmer farmers attached pottery shards to the blade, later replaced by iron sheets welded onto the blade by Vietnamese farmers.

Early tractor trials in Cần Thơ

After colonizing Southern Vietnam, the French aimed to transform the region into a leading rice-producing and exporting area. Recognizing its fertile land, favorable climate, and developed waterways, they introduced policies promoting agricultural expansion and mechanization.

Tractors in Can Tho fields in the early 1980s.

By the early 20th century, French land transfer policies created a class of large landowners, including French, Franco-Vietnamese, Vietnamese, and Khmer individuals. Several agricultural companies emerged in Cần Thơ, such as Sambuc (8,000 ha), Guérez (6,000 ha), and Michel-Villaz, Mayer et Cie (1,200 ha).

According to historian Sơn Nam's book "Lịch sử khẩn hoang miền Nam" ("History of Land Reclamation in Southern Vietnam"), Cần Thơ ranked among the top provinces in cultivated land. In 1900, it had 124,588 hectares, second only to Sóc Trăng. By 1930, it had grown to 205,000 hectares, ranking fourth in Southern Vietnam.

In 1910, the Association Rizicole Indochinoise (Indochina Rice Association) was established to research mechanized rice farming. Various tractors were imported from France and the U.S. for trials in the Mekong Delta, with Cần Thơ and Châu Đốc as key testing sites. Engineer Alazard brought tractors, harrows, and seeders to Thới Lai (Cần Thơ) for trials, but the results were unsatisfactory. Another engineer, Duquet, tested mechanized plowing in Cần Thơ during the dry season of 1911.

Details of the 1910 trials, documented by researcher Nguyễn Nghi, mention two machines: the javeleuse-botteleuse (a 630 kg reaper-binder) and a 430 kg simple reaper, both manufactured by Reliance. The reaper-binder required three mules for traction, while the simpler model used two. Buffaloes, untrained for such tasks, were unsuitable for these machines.

The French colonial government saw the need for systematic, science-based agricultural development. In 1927, they established seven agrarian research stations in Southern Vietnam, including one in Cần Thơ.

For centuries, traditional agriculture in the Mekong Delta relied on animal labor. Buffaloes and oxen played crucial roles in land clearance and farming until the mid-20th century, when mechanization gradually took over. By the 1960s, tractors gained importance, and after 1975, mechanized plowing expanded further, with more tractors imported to enhance productivity.

Today, Cần Thơ farmers use modern, multifunctional tractors to cultivate their fields. Whether in the era of buffalo-drawn plows or high-tech machines, Cần Thơ’s farmers remain diligent and innovative, embodying the spirit of the land known for its "white rice and clear water."