Heavy rains have flattened over 200 hectares of rice fields in Nghe An province.

(Baonghean.vn) - The prolonged rain over the past few days has affected the progress of harvesting the summer-autumn rice crop, the quality of the rice after harvest, and the planting season for winter crops in Nghe An province. To date, only 25 out of 47,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice have been harvested. Many crops have been flattened due to heavy rain.

Residents of Hamlet 2, Dien Quang, are rushing to harvest rice that was flattened by heavy rain.

Over the past three days, Dien Chau district has experienced heavy rain and strong winds, causing approximately 100 hectares of summer-autumn rice crops, currently in the harvesting stage, to be flattened and submerged in water.

According to the Dien Chau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, a large area of ​​rice fields has been flattened in the communes of Dien Hoa, Dien Hanh, Dien Thai, Dien Dong, Dien Lien, etc. Due to continuous rain, farmers have been unable to harvest, so there is a high possibility that the rice will sprout.

Previously, Dien Chau had harvested about 65% of its rice crop, but the harvested rice is facing difficulties in preservation. Due to rain and the lack of drying machines, the harvested rice is at risk of deteriorating in quality.

Rice crops in Dien Hoa - Dien Chau have fallen into the water.

Rice crops in Quynh My - Quynh Luu have been flattened.

The heavy rain on the afternoon and night of September 11th also caused damage to dozens of households in the communes of Quynh Lam, Quynh My, Quynh Hong, and Cau Giat, with dozens of hectares of milky-ripe rice being flattened to the ground.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh, Head of the Agriculture Department of Quynh Luu district, said: "The phenomenon of rice plants being knocked down by strong winds has occurred in many communes in the district. However, it only affects rice plants along the wind direction, mainly deep, shallow fields with high yields and heavy grains. The affected area has not yet been quantified."

In Yen Thanh district, according to the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of August, some localities had harvested the summer-autumn rice crop in low-lying fields. To date, Yen Thanh has harvested nearly 70% of its summer-autumn rice crop. Due to recent rains, farmers have temporarily halted harvesting, affecting the harvesting progress and post-harvest losses, as well as impacting the planting season for winter crops. The planting season for winter crops in Yen Thanh begins at the end of August and ends on October 5th.

The family of Mr. Nguyen Huu Duc, in Vinh Thanh hamlet, Nam Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district), has more than 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of summer-autumn rice. Three days ago, taking advantage of the sunny weather, the family hired a harvesting machine to harvest the entire area. However, after harvesting, it has been raining continuously for several days, preventing the rice from being dried. Currently, the family is keeping the sacks of rice indoors, waiting for sunny weather to spread them out to dry. If the rain continues, the family will utilize the floor, porch, etc., to spread the rice out and use electric fans to dry it, preventing mold and germination.

The winter crops in Dien Chau were planted early, so they were not significantly affected by the recent rains.

Due to the rainy weather over the past few days, the harvesting of the crop has been slowed down for farmers. To date, farmers throughout the province have harvested 25,000 out of more than 47,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice. It is estimated that about 200 hectares of rice have been flattened due to the recent heavy rains.

The Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection recommends: For low-lying areas, farmers should harvest immediately with the motto "better to harvest while still green than wait until it's overripe" to avoid localized flooding. For highland areas, farmers should not harvest when it is raining. At the same time, localities should focus on clearing drainage ditches and canals to quickly drain water, thereby limiting flooding and preparing for winter crop planting. After harvesting, if there is no sunshine, farmers should not pile the rice into heaps, but spread it out on the floor to prevent the grains from turning black, sprouting, etc., which affects the quality of the rice.

For winter crops, especially corn, Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, advises localities to use short-day corn varieties and sow seeds in corn seedbeds for planting.

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