Prolonged drought and lack of irrigation water have prevented farmers in the highlands of Nghe An from planting the summer-autumn rice crop.

On June 11, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa's family in Hamlet 5, Bai So village, Tam Quang border commune (Tuong Duong) and other households went to the field to sow rice for the 2023 winter-spring crop. Three families sowed rice seedlings together in one field because the planting area was not large, each household only had about 2 sao.

Ms. Hoa said that compared to previous years, this year the planting season was later because the fields were dry. In Bai So village, the water source for agriculture depends on the water from Nam Khun dam. However, this dam is now running out of water and often leaks, so the Bai So fields are almost completely affected. Currently, people are taking advantage of the limited water source to sow rice seeds and wait for rain to plant.

People of Bai So village, Tam Quang commune sow rice for the 2023 crop. Photo: Hoai Thu

“To ensure good seedling growth, we incubate the rice and sow it when the sprouts are longer than usual. But if there is still no rain, we risk having to postpone planting,” said Ms. Hoa.

Speaking more about the concern of delaying or having to reduce the area of ​​​​rice cultivation in the winter-spring crop, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tam Quang Commune Kha Thi Hien said that the whole commune has 100.67 hectares of rice. This winter-spring crop, Tam Quang is expected to close the entire area, but if it does not rain and the drought continues, some fields will have to be abandoned, only about 75 hectares will be planted. As for the current summer-autumn crop, Tam Quang people are no longer in time for it and have to abandon it due to the drought.

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuong Duong district said: In the district, there are about more than 900 hectares of wet rice expected to be planted in the summer-autumn crop. Most of them are concentrated in Tam Quang commune. In addition, scattered in some villages with favorable conditions for irrigation water such as in Phong village, Tam Hop commune, Nga My, Tam Thai, Mai Son...

The 2023 crop season in Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong) is expected to reduce nearly 30 hectares of rice due to the effects of dry weather and lack of water. Photo: Hoai Thu

In Quy Chau district, people also do not grow summer-autumn rice but sow the winter-spring crop. Mr. Luong Tri Dung - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the District People's Committee said that at present, people are going to the fields to prepare for the winter-spring crop. In 2023, Quy Chau plans to sow the winter-spring rice crop on over 1,800 hectares; sowing rice seedlings from the beginning of June 2023. It is expected that if the weather is favorable and there is rain, the harvest will be around September 20, in time before the flood season.

Basically, in Quy Chau, the amount of irrigation water for the winter-spring rice production is currently guaranteed. Except for some localities affected by drought, there is a risk of local water shortage for planting such as in Chau Hanh, Chau Tien, and Chau Binh communes.