Although the 2024 autumn-winter rice crop is expected to be harvested in another week, Mr. Nguyen Van Chanh (Vi Thuy district, Hau Giang province) decided to harvest early because he was afraid of high tides and floods.
It is known that after harvesting 7 hectares of OM 5451 rice variety, the yield reached 800 kg/hectare, the selling price was 7,800 VND/kg, after deducting all expenses, Mr. Chanh made a profit of over 20 million VND.
"During the high tide last September, my rice was affected, the fields were flooded. Therefore, when I saw the sunny weather, I took advantage of the opportunity to cut the rice early. If there was another flood, the risk of damage would be very high," said Mr. Chanh.
Meanwhile, due to long-term sowing, Mr. Nguyen Van Ut's rice acreage (Vi Thuy district, Hau Giang province) is currently in the flowering stage, making him worried.
"I'm afraid that the water will rise and flood my fields and I won't be able to pump it out in time. Not to mention the heavy rain, the rice will fall and be submerged in water, which means I'll lose everything. Even if I can cut it, the cost of hiring workers and machines to cut the rice will be high," said Mr. Ut.
According to this farmer, when the rice falls over, farmers will pay 30,000 - 40,000 VND/cong higher for the cutting machine, fluctuating at 380,000 - 390,000 VND/cong. The higher the production cost, the lower the profit.
According to the review of the agricultural sector of Hau Giang province, the whole province has harvested more than 1,300 hectares of 2024 autumn-winter rice, with an average yield of over 5.5 tons/ha.
To minimize damage caused by storms, high tides, and floods, the authorities of Hau Giang province recommend that localities proactively monitor developments and forecasts of rain and floods to promptly respond to unusual developments; promptly organize repairs and reinforcement of dike sections, embankments, and works at risk of incidents or showing signs of insecurity.
In addition, proactively operate irrigation works to effectively prevent and combat flooding, serve production, people's lives and ensure safety of works...
According to the forecast of the Hau Giang Province Hydrometeorological Station, from October to mid-November, storms, tropical depressions, heavy rains, floods, high tides and natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods, landslides... will develop quite complicatedly.
In October, in Hau Giang and the Mekong Delta localities, there will be 2 high tides from October 4-7 and October 18-24. The water level is forecast to exceed alert level III at Cai Con River by 0.15-0.28 m, at Xa No canal by 0.10-0.25 m...
High tides and flood waters on the Hau River and possibly combined with heavy rain in places will cause water levels to rise, posing a risk of widespread flooding.
