It has been 2 days since the flood on the night of December 3 and the morning of December 4, the flood water has receded, but in Kim Binh quarter, Ham Thang ward, Lam Dong province, dragon fruit gardens are still flooded.
The traces of the flood are still imprinted on every garden, on every dragon fruit branch that is preparing to light up lights to enter the Tet season.
Mrs. Le Thi Lai's dragon fruit garden of more than 350 pillars was still flooded with about a third of its body by the afternoon of December 6. The golden mud attaches tightly to the trunks and branches, showing the deep level of floodwater.
It is worth mentioning that just a month ago, in early November, this area also suffered a similar flood.
"After the flood in early November, my family is improving the land to prepare to light up the upcoming Tet crop, and unexpectedly, the flood will continue to occur," Ms. Lai said sadly.
Prolonged flooding makes dragon fruit roots susceptible to rot, weakens the plant, directly affecting productivity and subsequent crops. With households entering the stage of preparing to light up, the production plan is almost broken.
Not only Mrs. Lai's family, many dragon fruit gardens in the area were also flooded due to floodwaters. In Ms. Huynh Thi Kim Thuy's 200-pillar garden, the family had to mobilize a pump to push the water out.
After the water recedes, gardeners will continue a series of stages such as improving the soil, growing straw, fertilizing, and restoring the roots so that dragon fruit can revive.
"We have to pump water out of the entire garden before renovating the dragon fruit garden. But all those stages need time, while the Tet crop is approaching" - Ms. Huynh Thi Kim Thuy shared.
Ham Thang ward is a downstream area that is heavily affected when Song Quao lake increases the overflow flow to regulate water. Communes also in the downstream such as Ham Liem, Ham Thuan, Ham Thuan Bac and Hong Son also recorded many dragon fruit gardens being deeply flooded.
According to statistics from the People's Committee of Lam Dong province, the flood since the beginning of December has flooded 4,128 hectares of agricultural production.
Of which, dragon fruit is one of the most affected crops. Currently, localities are instructing people to report the damage to have timely support plans.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa - Head of Kim Binh Quarter, Ham Thang Ward - said that many gardens were damaged at the time of lighting, had buds or had just fertilized to prepare for Tet.
Households with damaged crops due to floods are notified to the neighborhood headquarters to report the damage or have groups to come to the house to issue ballots for households to self- declare. After that, the information will be sent to the ward and divided into groups for re-survey because the area of dragon fruit in the area is quite large.
At this time, ripe dragon fruit is priced at a high price, more than 20,000 VND/kg. The flood has disrupted people's production plans.
In difficulty, people are still trying to save the remaining dragon fruit gardens, hoping to keep some of their income at the end of the year and continue to produce.
