Ky Son farmers struggle to restore production after flash floods
(Baonghean.vn) - Slash-and-burn farming, wet rice production, and livestock raising are still some of the key economic development activities of the people of Ky Son. However, after the flash floods and landslides, many households lost their fields and livestock and poultry died, making it difficult for the people here to recover production.
Major damage to crops and livestock
In Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district,after flash floodoccurred on October 2, 2022, the production area that used to be the fertile terraced fields of the people of Son Ha and Hoa Son villages is now only littered with dozens of tons of boulders, mud, and trees. People not only lost their fields, but even their fish ponds and eco-tourism service models were also wiped out, making it difficult to recover.
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The rice and fish farming area of Hoa Son village, Ta Ca commune (Ky Son) was buried after flash floods. Photo: Hoai Thu |
For example, the area of Mr. Vi Van Thoong's field hut and fish pond in Hoa Son village used to be the most beautiful place in the village with green terraced rice fields and fish ponds providing stable income, but now it is completely buried by giant rocks and sand. Ms. Lau Y Xo in Son Ha village is worried: "Many fields of my family and surrounding households have collapsed into the stream, I don't know what to do next to have food."
Not only in Son Ha and Hoa Son villages, but also in Binh Son 1, Binh Son 2, Canh village of Ta Ca commune and many other communes, people also lost their rice fields after the flood. Mr. Moong Van Thi in Binh Son 1 village said that in the past, his village lived on high mountains. In the 1990s, the State mobilized households to move to lower streams and creeks for a more convenient life. People in Binh Son 1 and 2 villages moved to their current residence, but their fields were still maintained in their old residence near the village.production areaof the people of Son Ha village, Hoa Son. Now, the flood has almost destroyed all the fields, and the family does not know how to restore production.
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The fields of Ky Son people were broken and eroded after the flood. Photo provided by the facility |
“The end of September and the beginning of October is the time when rice in Ky Son fields enters the ear-forming stage. Long-term rain causes lack of sunlight or the rice is broken, so many grains are empty, with a high risk of not being harvested. In Keng Du commune, many rice fields and fields are in such a situation. We are conducting statistics on the damaged area,” said Mr. Luong Van Ngam, Chairman of Keng Du Commune People's Committee.
Efforts to maintain production and livestock
According to statistics from the People's Committee of Ky Son district, the floods in early October 2022 caused landslides and collapsed 10 hectares of upland rice fields of people in Keng Du, Na Ngoi, Tay Son communes; leveled 15 hectares of rice fields of people in Na Loi, Nam Can, Pha Danh, Ta Ca communes, causing almost complete crop failure. Previously, in the two floods from September 4 to 12, Ky Son district had more than 50 hectares of summer-autumn rice severely damaged, mainly concentrated in Chieu Luu, Huu Lap and Pha Danh communes. Many rice fields were even buried under many layers of rock and soil that were difficult to restore.
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Currently, anthrax in cattle is threatening livestock in Ky Son. Photo: Hoai Thu |
The floods also buried and killed 13 buffaloes and cows in the communes of Keng Du, Na Ngoi, Ta Ca, and Pha Danh, and swept away thousands of poultry and hundreds of pigs - assets, sources of economic development, and effective agricultural production tools of the people.
Livestock not only died from natural disasters, but in addition, Ky Son has now begun to experience anthrax in cattle, threatening great losses to the livestock herd. On the afternoon of October 20, Mr. Luong Van Ngam - Chairman of the People's Committee of Keng Du commune said that the commune is making efforts to vaccinate the total herd of nearly 500 cattle to limit the number of infected cattle. Currently, nearly 30 cattle have died from anthrax. We are very worried about the mass death of infected cattle, causing heavy losses to the people, affecting livestock and agricultural production.
Faced with the damage caused by natural disasters, the Department of Agriculture of Ky Son district is reviewing and compiling statistics on the damage to report to relevant authorities. For broken rice fields, the communes will guide people to restore them manually to "save" the plants as much as possible. As for rice fields with empty grains, the level of yield reduction will be assessed to provide appropriate support and prepare for replanting. For households whose fields, rice fields, houses, and assets in the flash flood area of October 2022 were damaged, in the short term, local authorities will allocate initial support based on the level of damage, helping people gradually stabilize their lives. In the long term, local authorities will find a plan to relocate and resettle households affected by flash floods, both in terms of residence and production.
In addition to overcoming difficulties in wet rice and upland rice production, disease prevention in livestock also needs to be accelerated to limit the number of infected and dead cattle.
Mr. Vi Oanh - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Ky Son district said: “Last week, we distributed vaccines against anthrax in buffaloes and cows to all communes for mass vaccination. In addition, the district also assigned the communes to propagate and remind people to increase food for buffaloes and cows to increase their resistance to the disease. Currently, we are also assigning the communes to continue to review and compile statistics on the disease situation in livestock; compile statistics on the area of broken rice, empty grains and the area of swidden fields and rice fields that have been eroded and buried due to floods to promptly report to superiors, and at the same time have a plan to guide and support people to overcome the consequences and try to restore production”./.
