Vietnam: Vietnamese farmers in many localities have used cement as fertiliser for their rice fields after a farmer in Lai Vung, Dong Thap said that the move had helped him raise his yield.

Several months ago, when building a new house, Le Van Nuoi from Long Hau noticed that vegetables planted near a place where building workers washed their utensils grew well without any fertiliser. Nuoi thought that the vegetables developed thanks to the mortar and cement stuck on the utensils of building workers.

Nuoi made a test with rice. He put down urea mixed with cement on a small area of rice and discovered that the trees in this area grew better than others in the same field. Nuoi's initiative was transferred to other farmers in the region, who have reached the same conclusion as Nuoi. The farmers have offered instructions on how long the fertiliser should be used and the ratio of cement and urea.

Mai Quoc Hau, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Division of Lai Vung, said that the local authorities have known about the initiative of local farmers. The division has sent experts to work with the farmers. He said that he would report the case to the higher authorities for consideration because using cement as fertiliser was 'very strange.' Experts have warned that spraying cement to rice fields will make the land unsuitable for crop cultivation.