Harvest the rice quickly and take proactive measures to avoid flooding.
These days, taking advantage of the dry weather after the rain, farmers in many localities in Nghe An province are mobilizing maximum manpower and machinery to urgently harvest the summer-autumn rice crop. Following the motto "better to harvest while the rice is still green than to let it wither in the field," they aim to minimize the risk of damage from heavy rain and flooding.
Take advantage of the opportunity to collectplans to race against the rain and floods.
In the rice fields of Vu Ky hamlet, Quang Dong commune, the sound of combine harvesters is constant. Farmers are busily gathering and transporting the rice home as soon as the harvesting is complete. Ms. Le Thi Lan said: “My family has 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of rice, and with the continuous heavy rain, we have to harvest as soon as the weather clears up to minimize losses. This year's rice crop is poor, with an expected yield of only over 1.7 quintals per sao. Many rice plants have dried out, and the grains are empty. If the rain continues, the risk of further damage will be even greater.”
According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Hieu, Head of the Economic Department of Quang Dong commune, this year's summer-autumn rice crop covers approximately 680 hectares. However, the expected yield is only over 3.5 tons/ha, lower than in previous years. "The reason for this year's crop failure is not due to the seed variety but mainly due to unfavorable weather conditions. The weather patterns have also created favorable conditions for pests and diseases to develop. Field inspections have shown that stem borers, brown spot disease, and grain discoloration are quite common, while rats are causing damage in many areas," Mr. Hieu stated.
To date, Quang Dong commune has harvested over 25% of its rice crop. Local authorities are continuing to promote and encourage people to quickly harvest rice that is over 90% ripe, minimizing the risk of lodging, flooding, or reduced quality if heavy rains continue.
In Minh Chau commune, the harvest is also underway with urgency. People are proactively mobilizing harvesting machines, manpower, and transportation vehicles, rushing to harvest and bring the rice home. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, a resident of Phu Lam hamlet, said that his family planted 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of rice, mainly Khang Dan and Bac Thom varieties, and this season the yield is only about 2 quintals per sao. Currently, there are still about 2 sao of rice that are not fully ripe, but seeing that the weather is dry, his family is still rushing to harvest. "If we leave the fields, if there is heavy rain and flooding, we might lose everything," Mr. Tuan said.
According to Mr. Le The Hieu, Vice Chairman of the Minh Chau Commune People's Committee, this year's summer-autumn rice crop saw approximately 1,100 hectares planted throughout the commune, with over 80% already harvested. The expected yield is only about 4 tons per hectare, primarily due to widespread grain discoloration and shriveling.
Besides the difficulties of harvesting, farmers also face challenges in post-harvest processing. Currently, the locality lacks many rice processing and drying facilities, while manual drying is entirely dependent on the weather. If it rains again after harvesting, the rice, if not dried promptly, is very susceptible to reduced quality or even germination.
Summer-Autumn rice crop yielded lower results due to empty grains and withered panicles.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Nghe An province, in the 2026 Summer-Autumn crop season, the entire province planted over 68,000 hectares, of which over 48,000 hectares were for Summer-Autumn rice, and the remainder for the main crop. To date, some rice fields have begun to be harvested, reaching over 30% of the planted area. However, this year's rice yield is predicted to be low, around 4 tons/ha.
Monitoring since the beginning of the season has revealed the appearance of numerous pests and diseases in the fields, such as rats, small leaf-rolling caterpillars, brown spot disease, stem borers, and grain discoloration. The level of infestation and damage is assessed to be higher than the previous year, directly affecting rice yield and quality.
Notably, the phenomenon of shriveled or underdeveloped rice grains is appearing in many areas. Field inspections reveal shriveled or partially filled rice grains with green, yellow, or dark husks. This phenomenon is occurring in many different rice varieties, including Khang Dan 18, TBR 97, and several others.
According to the Nghe An Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the causes of empty rice grains are due to both objective and subjective factors. Objectively, the rice plants experienced hot weather during the heading and flowering stages, combined with dry, hot southwest winds. The average temperature in July was 0.5-1°C higher, and the minimum temperature was 0.5-2°C higher than the multi-year average. In particular, mid-July saw localized heatwaves in the plains and midland areas, with minimum air humidity sometimes fluctuating between 41-52%.
In addition, the high cost of agricultural supplies has limited investment in crop care and pest control for some farmers. Some households have not proactively implemented response measures despite guidance, recommendations, and training organized by agricultural experts before the production season.
Furthermore, the use of rice intended for consumption as seed for planting in the summer-autumn crop season is also considered by experts to be one of the factors that increase risks and affect the growth and yield of rice plants.
Amidst continuing unpredictable weather patterns, the Nghe An Department of Agriculture is advising localities to focus on directing farmers to inspect their fields and take advantage of favorable weather conditions to quickly harvest ripe rice crops. For rice fields with 90% or more ripeness, priority should be given to early harvesting to minimize the risk of damage from heavy rain, flooding, and storms.
