Sunny weather, Nghe An farmers busy restoring production
After storm No. 5, many vegetable growing and high-tech shrimp farming areas in Nghe An suffered heavy losses. Currently, people are urgently starting to restore, with the determination to quickly and effectively resume production, not to disrupt the food supply to the market.
Urgently overcome to save production
Along the coastal roads of Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Quynh Anh, Quynh Phu communes..., the most common images these days are greenhouses and net houses with their roofs blown off, frames collapsed, and lying in disarray after the storm.
In Quynh Phu commune, the 6,000 m² greenhouse of Mr. Ho Van Thang’s family in Nghia Phu hamlet was almost completely damaged in the roof. Of which, 5/6 of the melon gardens that were about to be harvested were completely lost.
“The storm had just passed, and I went into the garden and felt like I was sitting on a pile of fire. The roof of the entire greenhouse was blown off, and all the melons were spoiled. Recently, my family had to spend 240 million VND to buy plastic to cover it so we could continue planting a new crop,” Mr. Thang shared.
Not only growing melons but also high-tech shrimp farming in net houses has suffered heavy losses. In Quynh Anh commune, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh's shrimp farm of more than 6 hectares had its roof blown off 90% of the area, many concrete pillars were broken. Just after releasing the shrimp, the storm hit, rainwater flooded the pond, forcing the family to drain all the water and shrimp, causing a loss of about 250 million VND.
"To rebuild the entire greenhouse, I estimate it will cost at least another 800 million VND," Mr. Thanh worried.
According to statistics, the whole province has 27 high-tech shrimp farms with damaged roofs. In the field of cultivation, 21 greenhouses and net houses collapsed or had their roofs blown off, with an area of tens of thousands of square meters.
The biggest concern for farmers now is the repair cost. A severely damaged 500 m² greenhouse needs 30-40 million VND to repair; for a system of thousands of m², the cost is up to hundreds of millions of VND. Most farmers who had previously borrowed capital for the initial investment now have to shoulder additional debt for repairs, making it extremely difficult to manage. Therefore, farmers hope that the State will soon have a support policy to resume production.
Do not let the supply be interrupted
Quynh Anh commune’s vegetable growing area is the province’s largest vegetable granary. Taking advantage of the sunny weather, people are going to the fields to cultivate and care for the vegetable areas that can be restored.
Ms. Ho Thi Tram in Tan Tien hamlet said that after the storm, she waited for many days for the land to dry. Now her family is weeding, re-cultivating the beds, and applying NPK fertilizer, hoping to salvage some capital. However, out of the 2 sao of green onions, only 1/3 of the area can be taken care of, the remaining area must be replanted.
Mr. Ho Dang Tam - Director of Quynh Bang General Agricultural Cooperative said: "Immediately after the storm, we sent staff to the fields to guide people to overcome the situation. Areas that could recover were weeded, fertilized, and cared for. Areas that had been completely lost were quickly prepared and replanted. At the same time, the cooperative connected with businesses supplying seeds and fertilizers to provide timely support to people. The biggest goal is to not disrupt the supply of vegetables and crops in the next 1-2 months."
Along with rebuilding the greenhouses, people also focused on cleaning the fields, disinfecting and sterilizing. Lime powder and biological products were sprinkled to kill pathogens and limit the growth of fungi after storms. The surviving vegetable beds were fertilized with organic fertilizer and microorganisms to help them recover quickly.
The urgent restoration of production after the storm not only helps farmers recover their capital quickly but also has a broader meaning. If coastal vegetable production is interrupted, the market will lack green vegetables, prices will fluctuate sharply, directly affecting the lives of people in urban areas and many other places. Similarly, if high-tech shrimp farms do not quickly re-stock their shrimp, the risk of shortages of fresh food and raw materials for processing is very high. Repairing net houses after the storm is not only for the benefit of each farming household but also linked to food security, food safety and market stability.
In fact, farmers are in dire need of support from the State, relevant agencies and businesses. Local authorities have urgently compiled a list of damages to come up with timely support plans. The Department of Agriculture also recommends that people make the most of usable materials to reduce costs, while encouraging cooperatives to join forces and share seeds and fertilizers to overcome this difficult period.
On the people's side, the spirit of overcoming difficulties and working hard is an important support. "If storms damage crops, we will replant them, that's farming," said Ms. Ho Thi Hanh, a farmer in Quynh Anh commune. The people's eyes still shine with determination, because they understand that only by quickly overcoming and reproducing can they make up for the damage and ensure supply to the market.
Although there are still many difficulties, with the farmers' spirit of overcoming difficulties, we believe that in just a short time, the fields will be covered with green vegetables and the shrimp ponds will be ready for harvest.
