Hoar frost damages crops in Lam Dong province

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 Rural Development of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong will provide financial support for Lac Duong district’s farmers whose coffee trees were damaged by hoar frost.

Nguyen Van Chau, deputy director of the department, said the department will also provide facilities to monitor the temperature and humidity. In damaged coffee areas not suited to coffee cultivation, farmers are encouraged to switch to other crops like fruit.

On February 6 – 7, hoar frost occurred in Lac Duong district’s Da Chais, Da Nhim and Da Sar communes, causing damage to leaves and fruit of coffee trees and other crops. 

About 434ha of coffee and 34ha of other crops of a total of 800 households in the three communes were affected by hoar frost, with total damage worth about 50 billion VND (2.15 million USD), according to the district's People’s Committee.

The district’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with local agricultural officials have encouraged farmers to spray water on trees to remove hoar frost in the morning when the temperature is not high.

Vu Ba Hoa, who has 3ha of coffee trees that are bearing fruit in Da Chis commune, said that buds, leaves and fruits had fallen from about 80 percent of his coffee trees because of the hoar frost.

He has sprayed water on the leaves and trunks of coffee trees but it has not been effective. “If the situation [hoar frost] lasts long, most farmers here will suffer severe losses.”

In the last coffee crop, Hoa harvested more than 12 tonnes of coffee beans and earned a profit of 150 million VND (6,400 USD).

Lieng Giang K’Sau, chairwoman of the Da Sar Commune Farmers Association, said that last week's hoar frost had caused the most damage to agricultural production since 2015.

The coffee orchards that were most affected are located in areas of high humidity and at the foot of hills, with 25 – 30 percent of the areas damaged, she said.

The province rarely has hoar frost. The last hoar frost occurred in early 2015, causing damage to more than 1,000ha of coffee.

Located between 1,500 – 2,200 metres above sea level, Lac Duong district has the highest location in the Central Highland region.

Lac Duong is one of the largest coffee growing areas in Lam Dong./.