Hundreds of buffaloes and cows in Nghe An died due to record cold

(Baonghean.vn) - Due to the impact of the record cold spell that has lasted continuously over the past few days, hundreds of cattle and buffaloes of people in the Western Nghe An region have frozen to death. The mountainous districts have also established a Steering Committee and sent officials to villages to guide people in preventing cold for their livestock with the goal of minimizing possible damage.

Mr. Mua Do Thai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Na Ngoi Commune - Ky Son District, said that as of noon on January 26, 15 buffaloes and cows in the villages of Tang Phan, Phu Kha 1, and Na Cang had frozen to death. Of these, Tang Phan Village alone had 5 buffaloes and 2 cows frozen to death.

Mr. Vi Van Luong, Head of Tang Phan village, said that the cases of buffalo and cow deaths did not only happen to young and weak ones, but also healthy ones that froze to death. According to Mr. Luong, for a long time, most of the buffalo and cows of the people were left to roam freely in the forest. The sudden cold spell left them unprepared, while many of the buffalo and cows had lived in the forest for a long time, making them very difficult to find. "The 15 dead buffalo and cows are just a provisional estimate, the official number will take a few more days to be counted," added Head of the village, Vi Van Luong.

People make fires to keep cattle warm.

During the "super cold" period that has occurred in recent days, Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son) is the most severely affected area. Accordingly, the temperature sometimes drops below 3^oC. Especially in Phu Xai Lai Leng mountain area, the snow cover is more than 10 cm thick, even 20 cm in some places.

By the afternoon of January 26, many village tables in Muong Long commune were still covered in ice. Mr. Va No Vu - Chairman of Muong Long Commune People's Committee said: "In front of the commune committee headquarters, it was as if covered with a cotton blanket."

Mr. No Vu also informed that in the area, 1 buffalo and 1 cow died of cold. Many vegetable areas were also frozen. There was a phenomenon of ice causing landslides, the road through Muong Long Heaven Gate to the Commune People's Committee was buried by rocks and soil, making it impossible for vehicles to pass. A working group from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An went to Muong Long to give gifts but had to turn back because they could not move.

Cabbage in Na Ngoi covered in snow. Photo: Le Thach.

In the border commune of Nam Can, there are currently 10 buffaloes and cows that have frozen to death. Of these, 5 died in Huoi Poc village. According to Mr. Moong Pho Ngoc - Vice Chairman of Nam Can Commune People's Committee, there are still no complete statistics on the damage to the buffaloes and cows, but the actual number could be much higher.

According to information from the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, the total herd of cattle in the district up to this point is more than 34,000. To proactively guide people on how to prevent cold for their cattle, the district has established 4 working groups with nearly 20 people to go to the grassroots.

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Agriculture Department of Tuong Duong district said that the local herd of buffaloes and cows is spread evenly across the communes, with a larger number concentrated in communes such as Tam Quang, Tam Dinh, Tam Thai, Yen Hoa, Nga My... The higher-altitude livestock areas include the communes of Huu Khuong, Nhon Mai, and Mai Son.

The Head of the District Agriculture Department also said that the local people's tradition of raising livestock is to graze naturally, so it is difficult to check and manage cattle when there is an epidemic or extreme weather events. Up to now, in Tuong Duong, 10 goats, 2 calves and 2 pigs have died of the cold.

Cows are fed extra salt to protect against the cold.

The number of cattle dying from the cold will likely continue to increase in the coming days. That is the opinion of most leaders of mountainous districts. The reason comes from the fact that people's cattle are mainly raised naturally in the forest. Especially in some communes, hamlets, and villages of Mong people living in high mountainous areas, the roads are dangerous, and the cattle are raised far from their homes, so monitoring and protecting them when needed is very difficult. Moreover, many households raise large numbers of cattle, in harsh weather conditions, with difficult traffic, it is difficult to build barns and make fires for warmth.

Mr. Le Van Giap - Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee said that right from the first cold spell, the District People's Committee went directly to each household and village to guide people on how to protect their livestock from the cold. In Que Phong, cattle and buffalo are raised in a zoning system in the valleys. However, due to the unusually low temperature, the phenomenon of ice and snow has caused heavy losses to the people.

Trees covered in ice and snow in Ky Son district. Photo: Le Thach.

Mr. Le Van Giap said that as of the afternoon of January 26, in Que Phong, 120 buffaloes and cows had frozen to death. The majority of them were in communes such as Tri Le, Nam Nhoong, and Quang Phong. “In recent days, the temperature in some communes has remained below 0^oC should snow occur.

"Lack of food sources and difficulty in covering the animals have led to mass deaths of cattle and buffaloes," said Mr. Le Van Giap, adding that local key officials are currently staying at the base to support and instruct people on how to protect their livestock from the cold and minimize possible damage.

Quoc Son - Huu Vi