Drought and saline water intrusion have badly affected localagricultural production in southernmost Ca Mau province over the pasttwo months and are forecast to persist through mid-May this year.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, the drought has dried up 1,300 hectares of crops alongside24,000 hectares of cajuput forests, leaving the forest at a high risk offire.
Some 5,000 hectares of land for shrimp farming faced severe shortage of water, 1,000 hectares of which were damaged.
Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 hectares of farmland along the entire252-kilometre coastline of the province are suffering from saltwaterintrusion. Saline water penetrated 1-2 kilometres down into the land andup to 3 kilometres in several locations.
CaMau province has mobilised around 1,000 forest rangers and localresidents to watch out fires around the clock and be fully prepared tomanage any fire emergencies, said Director of the department Le Van Su.
The agricultural sector recommended localfarmers temporarily stop out of season shrimp farming with the exceptionof industrial shrimp production. Growers were also suggested to plantfruit trees over crops during the current dry season.
The entire western coast dyke system will be upgraded at a cost of1.3 trillion VND (60.2 million USD) by 2020 as part of the stateprogramme to support the adaption of climate change and saltwaterintrusion.
Dykes are scheduled to beconstructed along eastern coast whilst dams will be built up to preventsaline water intruding from in-land rivers.-VNA
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, the drought has dried up 1,300 hectares of crops alongside24,000 hectares of cajuput forests, leaving the forest at a high risk offire.
Some 5,000 hectares of land for shrimp farming faced severe shortage of water, 1,000 hectares of which were damaged.
Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 hectares of farmland along the entire252-kilometre coastline of the province are suffering from saltwaterintrusion. Saline water penetrated 1-2 kilometres down into the land andup to 3 kilometres in several locations.
CaMau province has mobilised around 1,000 forest rangers and localresidents to watch out fires around the clock and be fully prepared tomanage any fire emergencies, said Director of the department Le Van Su.
The agricultural sector recommended localfarmers temporarily stop out of season shrimp farming with the exceptionof industrial shrimp production. Growers were also suggested to plantfruit trees over crops during the current dry season.
The entire western coast dyke system will be upgraded at a cost of1.3 trillion VND (60.2 million USD) by 2020 as part of the stateprogramme to support the adaption of climate change and saltwaterintrusion.
Dykes are scheduled to beconstructed along eastern coast whilst dams will be built up to preventsaline water intruding from in-land rivers.-VNA
