A long spell of dry weather is battering the coffee-rich Central Highlands and, along with salinity, is causing a problems in southern provinces, the nation’s rice bowl.
Drought was reported to have hit the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Dak Nong for several months, damaging some 4,200 ha of coffee. In addition, over 4,500 ha of rice were hit by drought, of which over 1,200 ha were totally damaged. Over 1,000 ha of subsidiary crop fields are parched.
Chief of the Central Highlands weather forecast station, Pham Vu Tuan, said the dry season this year is likely to be complicated as the average rainfall was low in 2010. The underground water level in this dry season continues to dry up by 4-5 m compared with the previous year’s level.
Meanwhile, droughts, along with salinity, have been biting deeper inland in southern provinces, seriously reducing the water supply capacity of reservoirs in hydropower plants and causing dire shortages of fresh water for daily life and production.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked for the Government’s first phase grants of almost 460 billion VND (22.08 million USD) to be made available to the Central Highlands to cope with drought./.
Drought was reported to have hit the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Dak Nong for several months, damaging some 4,200 ha of coffee. In addition, over 4,500 ha of rice were hit by drought, of which over 1,200 ha were totally damaged. Over 1,000 ha of subsidiary crop fields are parched.
Chief of the Central Highlands weather forecast station, Pham Vu Tuan, said the dry season this year is likely to be complicated as the average rainfall was low in 2010. The underground water level in this dry season continues to dry up by 4-5 m compared with the previous year’s level.
Meanwhile, droughts, along with salinity, have been biting deeper inland in southern provinces, seriously reducing the water supply capacity of reservoirs in hydropower plants and causing dire shortages of fresh water for daily life and production.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked for the Government’s first phase grants of almost 460 billion VND (22.08 million USD) to be made available to the Central Highlands to cope with drought./.
