Due to the direct impact of storm No. 5, on August 24, farmers in many localities in Quang Tri had to go to the fields to harvest rice, racing against time to minimize crop damage.
Mr. Hoang Trung Hao, in Dai village, Bo Trach commune, shared: "The people take advantage of the dry weather, harvest rice, dry rice, and gather straw. Although the rice has not yet ripened, it is still forced to harvest early to avoid damage caused by the storm. When the storm comes, the rice falls, when flooded, it is gone".
Mr. Hao's family also raises freshwater aquatic products. Although it is time to gradually harvest, there are still some crab and shrimp that have just been released and cannot be picked up, making him worried.
Mr. Hoang Van Quoc, in village 1, Hoan Lao commune, is also rushing to harvest rice fields that are still green: "It will be about a week until they are ripe but it is not in time. When harvested, they are temporarily dried indoors. This year, we sowed late, the rice was young, there has never been such a year. Usually, before the storm, the harvest season was over, now the rice is still green and must be cut."
According to statistics, this year's Summer-Autumn crop, the whole Quang Tri province planted nearly 38,800 hectares of rice. As of August 24, farmers have harvested more than 2,500 hectares. Many remaining areas are still unripe, but people are forced to harvest young to "green the house and the fields".
The local agricultural sector has continuously issued warnings and advised farmers to focus on human resources and mobilize machinery to speed up the rice harvest progress before the storm.
Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri province Hoang Nam said that the province has just experienced a flood in June, the crop has been moved back, so many areas are still young.
For areas that can be harvested, they must be harvested immediately, while for areas that cannot be harvested, there must be a plan to protect and strengthen the dike system and canals to avoid flooding.
