The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoRAD) has asked the Government to subsidise people whose buffaloes had suffered from the extreme cold affecting northern provinces.
Suggested beneficiaries include people from low-income households and families whose members had made a contribution to the country\'s revolutions. The VND36billion (US$1.8 million) programme, would see every family receive VND100,000 (US$5) for each buffalo or cow that they own in order to help them buy supplementary food for their cattle. It is estimated that there are 360,000 buffaloes in the country\'s 19 northernmost provinces stretching down to Thua Thien Hue Province.
The Department of Livestock Breeding reported that by Saturday, about 44,000 cattle and other livestock had been killed during the prolonged cold spell; with Son La, Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces averaging livestock deaths of 6-8,000 heads.
The department also said farmers had failed to provide either shelter or sufficient food stocks for their cattle. Buffaloes and cows were still being left to graze in the open, and the winter weather meant there was insufficient food available.
Besides the subsidies, staff from the Livestock Breeding Department would continue to help farmers protect their cattle from the cold.
Source: VNS