Lam Dong province’s agricultural officials inspect damage caused by hoar frost to crops in Lac Duong district. (Photo: VNA)
Lam Dong (VNS/VNA) - The Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong will provide financialsupport for Lac Duong district’s farmers whose coffee trees weredamaged by hoar frost.
Nguyen Van Chau, deputy directorof the department, said the department will also provide facilitiesto monitor the temperature and humidity. In damaged coffeeareas not suited to coffee cultivation, farmers are encouraged to switch toother crops like fruit.
On February 6 – 7, hoar frost occurred in Lac Duong district’s Da Chais, DaNhim and Da Sar communes, causing damage to leaves and fruit ofcoffee trees and other crops.
About 434ha of coffee and 34ha of other crops of a total of 800 households inthe three communes were affected by hoar frost, with total damage worth about 50billion VND (2.15 million USD), according to the district's People’s Committee.
The district’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation withlocal agricultural officials have encouraged farmersto spray water on trees to remove hoar frost in the morning whenthe temperature is not high.
Vu Ba Hoa, who has 3ha of coffee trees that are bearing fruit in DaChis commune, said that buds, leaves and fruits had fallen from about 80percent of his coffee trees because of the hoar frost.
He has sprayed water on the leaves and trunks of coffee trees but it hasnot been effective. “If the situation [hoar frost] lasts long, mostfarmers here will suffer severe losses.”
In the last coffee crop, Hoa harvested more than 12 tonnes of coffee beans andearned a profit of 150 million VND (6,400 USD).
Lieng Giang K’Sau, chairwoman of the Da Sar Commune Farmers Association, saidthat last week's hoar frost had caused the most damage toagricultural production since 2015.
The coffee orchards that were most affected are located in areas of highhumidity and at the foot of hills, with 25 – 30 percent of theareas damaged, she said.
The province rarely has hoar frost. The last hoar frost occurred in early2015, causing damage to more than 1,000ha of coffee.
Located between 1,500 – 2,200 metres above sea level, Lac Duong district hasthe highest location in the Central Highland region.
Lac Duong is one of the largest coffee growing areas in Lam Dong./.
