People in the border commune face the risk of starvation due to the loss of their farmland after the floods.
(Baonghean.vn) - After typhoons No. 3 and No. 4 passed through, many rice paddies in Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district, were eroded and buried, leveling many rice fields and causing difficulties for the lives of the Tay Poong, Mong, and Thai ethnic minorities; many households face the risk of starvation.
With over 500 m2The rice paddy, a relatively small area compared to many households in the delta region, is nevertheless the entire agricultural land that provides food for the family of Ms. Vieng Thi Ly, Xop Nam village, Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district.
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| A large portion of the rice fields belonging to the people of Xop Nam village has been transformed into streams and rocky terrain. Photo: Lu Phu |
Ms. Ly said that her family's rice paddies, which had only been planted for over two months and were in a good growth stage, were swept away by floodwaters. Most of the land was eroded, and the rest was buried under soil and sand. Although they wanted to reclaim the land, the thick layer of soil and sand, over 50cm deep, made restoration impossible.
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| Much of the remaining area has turned into sand dunes. Photo: Lu Phu |
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| This area, once a rice paddy providing food for 78 households in Xop Nam village, has now become a playground for children. Photo: Lu Phu |
According to statistics from the Xop Nam village management board, the entire village has more than 3 hectares of rice paddies, but more than 1.8 hectares have been flooded, eroded, and buried under mud. Two households have completely lost their entire rice crop, and it is impossible to recover: the household of Ms. Vieng Thi Ly and the household of Ms. Vieng Thi Lan.
According to Mr. Luong Phi Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tam Hop commune, the total area of damaged rice paddies in the entire commune is 3.55 hectares (of which: 3.18 hectares were completely destroyed; 0.37 hectares were severely damaged and cannot be rehabilitated or restored); the area of completely destroyed upland rice is 1.8 hectares, mainly in Huoi Son and Phong villages; the area of damaged turmeric is over 0.9 hectares; the area of damaged crops is over 2.7 hectares (of which: 2.0 hectares were severely damaged; 0.7 hectares were completely destroyed).
The estimated damage to agriculture and forestry in Tam Hop commune is over 50 million VND. The commune has submitted a report to the district, and once the district allocates funds, the commune will organize support for the people.
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| Landslides continue to occur in the fields of the villages in the commune. Photo: Lu Phu |
Besides affecting crops, the floods killed and swept away many livestock and poultry, causing significant losses for farmers. Currently, affected households in this area are hoping for support policies or solutions to restore the buried farmland so that they can continue to have land for production.
