Banking sector supports farmers affected by cold spell

Currently, due to the influence of unusual cold air in some northern mountainous provinces, buffaloes and cows of some households who borrowed money from banks have died.

People cover their barns with tarpaulins, proactively preventing cold for livestock.

The State Bank has directed the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and commercial banks to coordinate with local authorities to determine damages in order to have policies on debt suspension, debt restructuring, debt extension, interest reduction and debt cancellation in accordance with the provisions of law and the authority of the bank to help people in difficult times due to natural disaster risks.

In addition, the State Bank is calling on commercial banks to take measures to strengthen social security to support families in difficult circumstances and those whose cattle died in this unusual cold spell.

According to unofficial information from the northern mountainous provinces, during this cold spell, nearly 1,400 livestock, mainly buffalo and cows, have died.

Son La province is considered to be the most severely damaged province to date, with 367 cattle frozen to death, mainly concentrated in Phu Yen, Sop Cop, Bac Yen, and Mai Son districts.

Next is Lao Cai province, the total damage caused by snow and rain in Lao Cai up to 4 p.m. on January 26 is more than 32 billion VND. Currently, 354 buffaloes and cows have frozen to death in the area; the most in Sa Pa district with 131, followed by Van Ban district with 86. Vegetables, flowers, and medicinal plants of all kinds affected by snow cover are 4,473 hectares.

Cao Bang province also had 342 cattle die due to cold, including 239 buffaloes and more than 100 cows. The number of dead cattle was concentrated in the high mountainous areas of districts with low temperatures such as Ha Lang, Nguyen Binh, Trung Khanh, and Thach An.

The consequences of this cold spell have caused the death of 286 buffaloes and 2 goats in Dien Bien province. The heaviest losses were in Tua Chua district, with 96 deaths, Dien Bien Dong with 94 deaths, Muong Ang with 44 deaths and Tuan Giao with 40 deaths.

Other localities such as Lang Son, Ha Giang, Yen Bai... were also covered by ice but the damage has not yet been estimated. Currently, local authorities where the damage occurred are still implementing work to support people to overcome the consequences of natural disasters./.

According to Vietnam+