In Nghe An province, nearly 1,700 hectares of rice fields have been flattened due to heavy rain.
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to the influence of a cold front, heavy rain fell in Nghe An province on the evening of May 7th, causing nearly 1,700 hectares of rice fields to be flattened.
As one of the localities most severely affected by heavy rains, according to a report from the Do Luong District Agricultural Service Center, nearly 486 hectares of rice fields have been flattened, and over 90 hectares of other crops have been damaged.
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Large areas of corn fields in Bac Son commune (Do Luong district) have been flattened or knocked down. Photo: Phu Huong |
Mr. Nguyen Kim Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Center, said: "The spring rice crop in Do Luong is mainly in the milky stage, and will be ready for harvest in 7-10 days. Therefore, the rice panicles are heavy, and the rice plants are old and dry, making them more prone to breakage and lodging, especially in the communes of My Son, Dang Son, Bac Son, etc."
“The district has instructed communes to advise and encourage people to focus on going to the fields. For areas with severe lodging, they should drain the water, bundle and tie the rice plants with ropes, and prop them up, especially in areas where the rice plants are still in the milky stage and will not be ready for harvest for another 15-20 days.”
"With over 90 hectares of crops, mainly corn in the flowering and silking stage, farmers are uprooting the severely damaged areas to feed to cattle, and for the remaining areas that can still be salvaged, they are draining the water from the fields to prop up the plants," said Mr. Nguyen Kim Ngoc.
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Rice crops were flattened in Nam Dan due to heavy rain. Photo: Phu Huong |
Heavy rain and strong winds also caused nearly 300 hectares of rice fields in Hung Nguyen district to be flattened.
Ms. Phan Thi Giang, a specialist in the district's Agriculture Department, said: The district has instructed communes and towns to direct agricultural officials and part-time agricultural extension and plant protection officers to inform and guide farmers to urgently mobilize manpower to tie up and prop up areas of spring rice crops that have fallen over, minimizing the impact on rice yield.
At the same time, according to forecasts for this year's summer-autumn crop season, there is a possibility of an early drought. To proactively plan production, farmers are advised not to drain all the water from their fields when tying up fallen or damaged rice plants, or when harvesting the spring rice crop, in order to utilize the available water in the fields.
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Leaders of Hung Nguyen district inspect the damage to the spring rice crop. Photo: Ha Hue (Hung Nguyen District Cultural Center) |
By the afternoon of May 9th, Dien Thai commune (Dien Chau district) had harvested approximately 50 out of 370 hectares of spring rice.
According to Ms. Dinh Thi Trang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Thai commune, the harvest will be completed within the next 2-3 days. "We are urging combine harvester owners to speed up the process. More than 3 hectares of rice in the commune that were damaged by heavy rain have already been harvested; currently, water is abundant, so farmers are taking advantage of the opportunity to harvest the spring rice crop and prepare seedlings for the summer-autumn crop," Ms. Dinh Thi Trang shared.
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Farmers in Dien Thai commune (Dien Chau district) harvest the spring rice crop. Photo: Phu Huong |
With the principle of "better to harvest early than late" in unfavorable weather conditions, in recent days, Dien Chau district has focused on directing the quick and efficient harvesting of rice crops that are 90% ripe or more. The entire district has 123 hectares of rice affected, of which 22 hectares suffered severe damage exceeding 70%; 15 hectares of corn were also flattened.
According to Mr. Le The Hieu, Head of the District's Agriculture Department, by the afternoon of May 9th, Dien Chau had harvested over 100 hectares of rice in the communes of Minh Chau, Dien Thai, Dien Nguyen, etc., and in the next 2-3 days, they will continue to direct the harvesting of the remaining areas with mature rice.
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By the afternoon of May 9th, Dien Chau district had harvested over 100 hectares of spring rice. Photo: Phu Huong |
“Having just been affected by heavy rains, and according to the provincial schedule, the main canal system will be shut off from May 10th for the construction of the North Nghe An irrigation system restoration and upgrading project, we prioritize harvesting the rice early. This will allow water for harvesting machines to enter and facilitate the immediate sowing of summer-autumn rice seedlings, racing against the floods and storms at the end of the summer-autumn season,” said Mr. Le The Hieu.
On the afternoon and evening of May 7th, in Nghe An province, the influence of a cold front caused rain and resulted in tornadoes and strong gusts of wind.
According to a quick report from the Standing Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Civil Defense, as of 10:00 AM on May 9th, Nghe An province had nearly 1,800 hectares of agricultural land affected, including over 1,640 hectares of rice and 140 hectares of corn and other crops.
Of that, nearly 150 hectares of rice suffered severe damage, with a damage rate exceeding 70%, mainly in the districts of Do Luong, Dien Chau, and Vinh City...; the area of rice damaged to a degree of 30-70% is over 480 hectares, mainly in Do Luong district (340 hectares) and Tan Ky district (over 63 hectares)... Nearly 60 hectares of crops suffered damage ranging from 30% to 70%, and over 63 hectares suffered severe damage, with a damage rate exceeding 70%, including over 52 hectares in Do Luong district and 6 hectares in Dien Chau district…
Currently, rice crops in the province are in the milky-ripe to fully ripe stage. For areas where the rice is still young and not yet ready for harvest, to prevent sprouting on the stalks and rotting grains, farmers should focus on propping up and tying the plants; harvest areas that are 80% or more ripe if the rice fields have flattened. For corn, if it can be harvested, focus on harvesting it; if it is still young, cut it down for cattle feed; at the same time, use technical methods to care for and help vegetable crops recover; if the damage is too severe, destroy and replant."