40 reservoirs in Tan Ky have fallen below the dead water level.

The Nhơm dam in Kỳ Tân commune has reached its dead water level. Photo: Xuân Hoàng

This cropping season, Tan Ky district planned to plant 4,654 hectares of rice. However, due to the prolonged drought, water levels in reservoirs and dams throughout the district have dropped, insufficient to supply farmers with water for land preparation and planting.

Unlike previous years, by the end of June, the rice fields in Nghia Hanh commune had already been sown. However, this year, the severe drought has left 170 out of 260 hectares with withered and cracked soil.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the Nghia Hanh Commune People's Committee, said: This year, due to low rainfall, 11 out of 13 reservoirs in the commune have run dry, leaving 170 hectares of land awaiting rainwater. Currently, farmers are actively tending to their rice seedlings, waiting for the rain to come before preparing the land for transplanting. However, if they wait too long...If the seedlings are too old, farmers will have to use new varieties.

Nghia Dung commune mobilized residents to dredge streams and simultaneously built dams across the Thiem stream to accumulate water for the pumping station to operate and irrigate rice fields. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In Nghia Dung commune, 51 hectares of land for rice cultivation still lack water. Recently, the local authorities mobilized residents to dredge the Thiem stream to collect water, using pumps to irrigate 18 hectares of rice already planted in Van Son and Tan Tho hamlets. The remaining unplanted land will be prepared for planting whenever it rains.

According to data from the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of July 3rd, only 1,932 hectares of summer rice had been planted throughout the district. This means that 2,722 hectares remain unplanted due to water shortages.

Currently, Tan Ky district still has 2,722 hectares of rice paddy land that cannot be planted due to water shortage. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Surveys show that in Tan Ky district, 40 out of 115 large and small reservoirs and dams are currently running out of water.

Besides rice, in Tan Ky district, 804 hectares of spring-summer corn, currently in the grain-forming stage, have withered and are unharvestable; 5,716 hectares of sugarcane and 2,443 hectares of cassava have withered due to drought, affecting up to 50% of the planted area. The total estimated damage is over 30 billion VND.

Over 800 hectares of spring-summer corn in Tan Ky district have withered due to the heatwave and hot, dry winds from Laos, risking total crop loss. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Tan Ky District People's Committee, shared: Given the ongoing drought, the district has directed communes to use local budgets and mobilize people to dredge streams and canals, and collect water for irrigation of already planted rice fields. For areas without water for planting, farmers are preparing fertilizers and agricultural supplies, and simultaneously caring for seedlings. As soon as it rains, they will immediately begin preparing the land and planting.

The most difficult situation is that hundreds of hectares of spring-summer corn crops belonging to farmers, which are in the final stages of tasseling and grain formation, are facing intense heat and strong winds from Laos, leading to wilting and potentially crop failure, causing losses of billions of dong.