Binh Thuan (VNA) - Farmers in the south-central province of Binh Thuanin areas without public irrigation systems have dug ponds, built smallreservoirs, and installed efficient irrigation systems as drought occurs duringthe dry season.
In Phan Thiet city’s Tien Thanh commune, many dragon fruit orchards havesufficient water from the ponds and reservoirs that were built.
Tran Van Nga, who has a 3ha dragon fruit orchard in Tien Thanh’s Tien Hoa hamlet,dug two ponds to store irrigation water and installed a spray irrigationsystem.
He harvests rainwater during the rainy season and stores it in two ponds, whichcover an area of 100sq.m each, for irrigating dragon fruit in the dryseason.
The spray system saves irrigation water and labour costs and time, compared totraditional irrigation methods, Nga said.
Tien Thanh commune has hilly terrain and sandy soil and has no publicirrigation system, so farmers rely mostly on rainwater.
Mai Duc Tien, Vice Chairman of the Tien Thanh Farmers' Association, said thatfarmers had dug ponds and built small reservoirs to store water.
The commune has about 300 households growing a total of 400ha of dragon fruitand all have built ponds and small reservoirs in their orchards.
In other drought-affected districts like Ham Thuan Nam and Ham Tan, farmershave dug ponds, built small reservoirs and applied other methods to cope withdrought.
Binh Thuan - the country’s largest dragon fruit producer - has faced a recorddrought over the past 10 years, causing severe water shortages in many farmingareas as many rivers and springs have been depleted.
The province has coped with drought by dredging irrigation canals andestablishing more temporary public pumping stations. It has also dug more wellsand ponds, and built temporary dams to store irrigation water./.
VNA