Drought likely to hit rice crop
Insufficient
rainfall is likely to affect the winter-spring rice crops across the country,
the National Hydro and Meteorological Forecasting Centre said on Nov. 10.
Water levels in
rivers in the north-central provinces would be less than last year's average
levels by about 30 percent. Those in the country's south-central and Central Highland provinces would be about 60 percent less
than last year's averages, said centre head Bui Minh Tang.
"Drought and
water shortages will spread extensively," said Tang. "Southern
provinces will probably have to deal with salt water intrusions."
The Red River's water level stabilised at 2.85m last month,
said irrigation expert Dang Duy Hien.
The river's average
was usually about 2.91m.
If the drought continued,
about 650,000ha of winter-spring rice crops in the northern delta might be
ruined, he added.
The Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development had asked northern provinces to reorganise their crops
according to climate forecasts and recommended farmers plant dry crops such as
corn or cashews, among others, that need little irrigation, said Deputy
Minister Bui Ba Bong.
"We should sow
up to 60 percent of land as soon as possible to avoid drought and salt
intrusion early next year," Bong said.
Vu Van Thang, head
of the Irrigation Department, said provinces should develop drought mitigation
plans as soon as possible and dredge canals and culverts to ensure irrigation
of every field.
"Additional
pumps should be available when river levels drop too low," he said.