In recent days, torrential rainfalls have flooded many unharvested rice paddies, leaving farmers desperately collecting what’s left.
The rain has been hitting Thua Thien – Hue Province and has taken most of the seeds away in its aftermath.
The entire rice field is flooded
Nearly 50 families from Team 7, Huong Vinh Cooperative of Huong Tra District, are scrambling to save what can be collected from the fields. In the last 3 days, rain has flooded 15 hectares of rice in this cooperative.
Do Thinh, a local farmer said, “My whole family went to the field and collected rice seeds. My entire 1.5 hectares of rice will be damaged if the rain keeps going on like this.”
Farmers of Quang Dien District, which is the lowest lying area of the province, are facing a threat of losing all their rice harvest. The whole rice area of Quang Tho, Quang Phu, Quang Phuoc communes and Sia Town has been covered by water reaching a height of 0.3-1.3 metres.
Le Binh, from Quang Phu Commune, Quang Dien District said, “In the past 4 days, the rain was so heavy that water levels of my fields were over half a metre. I still have 1.5 hectares of rice left to be harvested although my whole family is trying to help me collect rice seeds. The rice has been ripened for nearly 3 months. It needs another 10 days to be collected. But now I have to bring it home and let it dry.”
“Although the wet rice is dried by wind or temperature, if the rain keeps falling for the next 3-5 days, my rice will grow mold because of the dampness,” shared Nguyen Ton from Quang Tho Commune.
The farming families here could lose dozens of millions of dong due to a coming storm.
Despite cold water and heavy rains, hundreds of households in Sia Town are making all efforts to collect ever rice seed possible. All fields here are covered with water at a height of 1-1.3 metres.
Farmers living in low-lying areas of Phu Vang and Phu Loc districts are coping with the same situation and are desperately hoping that the rain stops.
Below, farmers rush to save what they can:
Using a small boat to collect rice
Only rice tops can be seen
Making all efforts to collect what is left
Harvesting quickly
Saddened as all fields are flooded
Bringing harvested rice home to dry
Threshing rice
Wet rice
Protecting rice from rains before bringing it home
