>> Cold spell kills 10,000 buffaloes and cows
>> Help for farmers protecting livestock from cold weather
As of January 25, nearly 26,500 farm animals in Vietnam, equivalent to VND130 billion (USD6.5 million), have died from the severe cold.
 |
| MARD officials urging farmers to keep warm of their livestocks |
Hoang Kim Giao, head of the Department of Husbandry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said it is a result of the recent cold spell, now having lasted for over 20 days, in 19 cities and provinces from central Thua Thien Hue Province to the far northern provinces.
Of the total, around 70% of the deaths have been calves, 27% are buffalos and cows, and 3% are other animals, Giao noted.
The loss is one tenth that of the last prolonged cold spell of 2007/2008, he said.
Do Kim Tuyen from MARD said, “There are places where people and families have to huddle together for warmth. Many have been hospitalised. They are so poor that they have trouble taking care of themselves, much less their animals.”
Giao, meanwhile, plans to propose the Ministries of Planning and Investment, and Finance, to provide financial supports to families who have lost animals due to the cold.
