The recent unseasonal downpours have had a negative impact on agricultural production across Da Nang. Currently, functional bodies in the city are augmenting their efforts to overcome the aftermath of the floods and heavy rains to help local farmers stabilise agricultural production.

Farmers in Tay An Village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District are bunching flattened rice plants to wait for the harvest day. Photo taken on April 5 by VAN HOANG.

Proactively restoring agricultural production

As noted on Tuesday morning at a paddy field in Tay An Village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District, many hectares of blooming and ripening rice were flattened by heavy rains.

Farmer Ong Van Nhan in Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District said that he had 4,000m² of rice in this year’s winter-spring rice crop, but around 1,500m² of which were damaged after heavy rains lashed Da Nang from March 30 to April 2.

Similarly, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tung, a farmer in Tuy Loan Tay Village, Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District, said that this year's winter-spring crop caused heavy damage to farmers. Right from the beginning of the season, farmers had to re-sow rice seeds two or three times due to floods, but recently, they have experienced unseasonal rains. Only about half a month is left until the rice harvest period, but long spells of rains in the past few days have devastated her family's 2 poles of rice.

In addition, the initial production costs and crop failure make the winter-spring crop more difficult for farmers.

In addition to rice crop, more than 45ha of vegetable crop in the district’s Hoa Phong Commune were affected by heavy rains and strong winds.

As overserved by our reporter at the Tuy Loan organic vegetable growing area on Tuesday, growing varieties of vegetable crop such as squash, bitter melon, vegetables of all kinds, peanuts, etc. have shown signs of wilting and root rot, and not being able to recover even though the waters have already receded.

Mrs. Le Thi Loan, a farmer in the Tuy Loan organic vegetable growing area, said that short-term vegetables were not able to recover due to being soaked in water for a long time. Currently, she and other farmers in the area are focusing on removing damaged vegetables and planting new varieties in a bid to ensure the timely supply for the market.

“With just one month left for the peanut harvest season, a recent spell of heavy rains has caused damage to all of my ten poles of peanuts, equivalent to 5,000m². Due to being soaked in water for a long time, these peanut plants can’t grow as normal. I tried to uproot a few plants but found that root rot started to occur. I am facing crop loss due to the recent unseasonal downpours” said farmer Nguyen Thi Ca from Tuy Loan Tay Village, Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District.

It is known that now that the growing season for peanuts has passed, she cannot continue to grow so Mrs.Ca must grow other kinds of vegetables.

Mr. Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Hoa Phong Commune People's Committee, said that in recent days, farmers tried to restore rice areas that can be harvested after the flood waters have basically receded.

The locality has directed relevant units and functional forces to quickly support farmers overcome the consequences of recent rains and flood.

“In the coming time, if the ripeness rate of rice plants reaches about 80-90% or more, farmers will be encouraged to harvest early to ensure the summer-autumn rice crop. The Hoa Phong Commune People's Committee will direct cooperatives and units to review and prepare reapers and plows to be ready for rice harvest season,” said Mr. Thanh.

Prompt support needed for upcoming summer-autumn rice crop

As of April 4 evening, due to recent unseasonal heavy rains and floods, 991.4 hectares of blooming and ripening rice had been inundated and flattened, 286.4 ha of vegetable crops had been flooded, and 19.8ha of aquaculture had been swept away.

Farmers in the Tuy Loan organic vegetable production area in Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District are plowing through damaged vegetable areas after unseasonal heavy rains. Photo: V.HOANG

Specifically, Hoa Vang District was hit worst by the recent prolonged heavy rains with 944.1ha of flooded and flattened paddy field, 187.4 ha of damaged vegetable crop, 0.5ha of crushed chrysanthemums, and more.

According to Mr. Ngo Van Sinh, Director of the Hoa Tien 1 General Business and Production Services Cooperative in Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa Vang District, the sowing time for the winter-spring crop was prolonged due to flooding at the beginning and the end of the crop, which may affect the upcoming summer-autumn crop. Currently, green rice is still abundant, so the harvest time is expected to last until the end of April or the beginning of May.

Mr. Le Dinh Ca, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Office of Hoa Vang District, said that the district authorities have recently asked for financial support from the Da Nang government and the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in an effort to help farmers urgently overcome the aftermath of recent floods and rains, and prepare for the upcoming summer-autumn crop.

In particular, the financial aid will be used to buy 94.41 tons of rice seeds for reproduction (100kg/ha) and cover the costs of clearing and cleaning the paddy fields due to the loss of rice at the price of VND170,000/ha.

In addition, the Hoa Vang District People's Committee proposed the municipal authorities to provide grain-based rice for disadvantaged farmers.

Reporting by VAN HOANG – Translating by M.DUNG