At the end of June, lotus growers in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Son Commune faced a huge crop loss when the majority of lotus flowers in the commune’s Bau Nghe Village totally withered.   There were only a few lotus plants in the village’s 40ha field, in contrast to last year when visitors to the field were enchanted by the natural and pure beauty of the many lotus flowers in full bloom.

In the past, the end of June usually saw a high yield of lotus flowers.  100kg of fresh lotus seeds were harvested per 360m² area, and 1kg of the seeds was priced at 40,000 VND.  Many lotus growers earned a good income from the sale of lotus seeds, which have both nutritional benefits and healing properties.

Very few lotus plants in this lake

It is thought that either a widespread fungal disease or toxic smoke from the nearby steel plants has caused the serious damage to the crop.  The lotus growers have asked local relevant agencies to identify the cause of the loss as soon as possible so that they can feel more secure about the next lotus flower harvest.