Farmers in the coastal areas of Nghe An province are moving their scallions to higher ground to avoid flooding.

Early this morning (August 18th), in the fields of Quynh Anh commune, hundreds of people were busy moving onions under the pouring rain. Bundles of young, green onions, not yet ripe, were quickly pulled up and neatly tied together to be transported to higher ground. A hurried atmosphere enveloped the fields as farmers raced against the heavy rain and rapidly rising water levels.

Mr. Ho Van Tai, from Hamlet 5, Quynh Anh Commune, said that his family has nearly 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of onions that were planted just over a month ago. If the weather is favorable, it will take at least another 20 days to harvest. However, due to heavy and prolonged rain from August 16th to 17th, the onions are deeply submerged, posing a high risk of ruining the entire onion crop.

“This morning I had to mobilize five more workers to uproot all the submerged onions and move them to higher ground for temporary planting. Although it incurred additional costs for labor and fertilizer, there was no other way. If the flooding continued and the onions rotted at the roots, it would be a total loss,” Mr. Tai sighed.

According to him, harvesting prematurely results in low yields, low prices, and a significant decrease in economic value. Furthermore, it's difficult to sell the onions at this time. Therefore, moving the onions to higher ground and replanting them after the floodwaters recede is the optimal solution.

In the coastal area of ​​Quynh Mai ward, people are also urgently moving onions from low-lying fields to higher, drier areas. Ms. Hoang Thi Minh, from Lien Hai village, said that more than 2 sao (approximately 2,000 square meters) of her family's onions have been submerged in water since last night.

"The onions are submerged; if we leave them for another one or two days, they'll rot and be completely ruined. We're forced to uproot them and move them to higher ground, planting them temporarily to try and salvage some of them. But this relocation incurs many expenses, from replanting labor and fertilizer to transportation costs," Ms. Minh shared.

This is a temporary measure to mitigate risks and ensure the supply of vegetables after floods. However, replanting will increase costs and also increase the risk of pests and diseases.

In addition, land in high-lying areas is scarce, and not every household can find a suitable place to replant. Many households have to borrow land from other households to cultivate.

Meanwhile, rising input costs and falling agricultural product prices have narrowed farmers' profits. "Replanting is a lot of work, but abandoning it means losing everything. Farmers can only cling to hope for sunny days, hoping the vegetables and onions will recover and yield a harvest," shared Ms. Ho Thi Hong, a resident of Quynh Mai ward.