Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Ca Mau (VNS/VNA) - Many crop growing areas in CaMau province’sfreshwater zones are facing a severe shortage of water because of a prolongeddry spell.
Ca Mau is the only province in the Mekong Delta that cannotaccess water from the Mekong and relies mostly on rainwater for irrigation.
Ly Van Lam commune, one of the largest vegetablegrowing areas in Ca Mau city,has seen its irrigation canals dry up and farmers struggle to find water fortheir crops.
Following instructions from local authorities at thebeginning of the ongoing dry season, farmers grew only short - term crops likeonion, bitter melon, mustard greens, gourds, and cucumber.
To secure water for their vegetables, many farmers have hadto drill borewells to draw groundwater. But groundwater has become scarce andfarmers drilling now have difficulty finding water.
Mac Ngoc Truyen, Chairman of the Ly Van Lam Commune Farmers Association, said theassociation has told farmers not to grow vegetables on large areas like theydid before.
This would help farmers save water, use water meant fordomestic use and mitigate the losses caused by the drought, he said.
In Tran Van Thoi district, vegetable farmers are facing apoor harvest because of the lack of water while the prices of vegetables havefallen dramatically.
Vu DangKhoa, Chairmanof the Minh Ha Agriculture Service Co-operative in the district’s Khanh Binh Dong commune, said after Tet (Lunar New Year)members grew pumpkin and gourds.
When the crops began to bear fruit, there was no water andthe yield is set to fall by half, he said.
The cooperative’s members have built a temporary dam to storewater, but there is not enough to irrigate crops, he said.
Fruit growing areas in the province have been affected by alack of water and farmers have had to make great efforts to save their fruittrees.
Nguyen Van Thinh, who has a 1ha guava orchard in Tran Van Thoi district’s Khanh Hung commune, said the leaves of many trees havewithered.
He had to prune many branches to save the trees, but manystill died, he said.
“The source of irrigation water for the orchard is a river.This year the drought has been severe and the river has dried up.”
The dry weather has been forecast to continue, andagricultural officials have instructed fruit farmers to take measures to savetheir trees.
Farmers are instructed to use rice straw, dried grass anddried leaves to cover the roots to lock in moisture, and prune branches toreduce the quantity of water required by the trees.
Drought and saltwater intrusion had wholly or partiallyaffected more than 20,500ha of crops including rice in the province as of earlyApril, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
To mitigate losses to the summer – autumn rice crop caused bydry weather, the department has established farming schedules for variouslocalities.
The province plans to grow a total of 36,000ha of summer –autumn rice in Tran Van Thoi, U Minh and Thoi Binh districts and Ca Mau city.
The schedules require farmers to sow 27,000ha of rice afterthey finish preparing the land. The remaining 9,000ha will be sown when thereare rains. The rainy season normally begins in May.
High-quality varieties will account for 65 – 70 percent ofthe province’s summer – autumn rice area, fragrant and specialty varieties for10 -15 percent and medium-quality varieties for 10 percent.
The department has urged farmers to grow more high-qualityand fragrant varieties since they are in high demand.
Nguyen Tran Thuc, head of the province’s Plant Cultivation andProtection Sub-department, said rice farmers should adopt advanced farmingtechniques to improve quality, reduce costs and improve their incomes./.
Ca Mau is the only province in the Mekong Delta that cannotaccess water from the Mekong and relies mostly on rainwater for irrigation.
Ly Van Lam commune, one of the largest vegetablegrowing areas in Ca Mau city,has seen its irrigation canals dry up and farmers struggle to find water fortheir crops.
Following instructions from local authorities at thebeginning of the ongoing dry season, farmers grew only short - term crops likeonion, bitter melon, mustard greens, gourds, and cucumber.
To secure water for their vegetables, many farmers have hadto drill borewells to draw groundwater. But groundwater has become scarce andfarmers drilling now have difficulty finding water.
Mac Ngoc Truyen, Chairman of the Ly Van Lam Commune Farmers Association, said theassociation has told farmers not to grow vegetables on large areas like theydid before.
This would help farmers save water, use water meant fordomestic use and mitigate the losses caused by the drought, he said.
In Tran Van Thoi district, vegetable farmers are facing apoor harvest because of the lack of water while the prices of vegetables havefallen dramatically.
Vu DangKhoa, Chairmanof the Minh Ha Agriculture Service Co-operative in the district’s Khanh Binh Dong commune, said after Tet (Lunar New Year)members grew pumpkin and gourds.
When the crops began to bear fruit, there was no water andthe yield is set to fall by half, he said.
The cooperative’s members have built a temporary dam to storewater, but there is not enough to irrigate crops, he said.
Fruit growing areas in the province have been affected by alack of water and farmers have had to make great efforts to save their fruittrees.
Nguyen Van Thinh, who has a 1ha guava orchard in Tran Van Thoi district’s Khanh Hung commune, said the leaves of many trees havewithered.
He had to prune many branches to save the trees, but manystill died, he said.
“The source of irrigation water for the orchard is a river.This year the drought has been severe and the river has dried up.”
The dry weather has been forecast to continue, andagricultural officials have instructed fruit farmers to take measures to savetheir trees.
Farmers are instructed to use rice straw, dried grass anddried leaves to cover the roots to lock in moisture, and prune branches toreduce the quantity of water required by the trees.
Drought and saltwater intrusion had wholly or partiallyaffected more than 20,500ha of crops including rice in the province as of earlyApril, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
To mitigate losses to the summer – autumn rice crop caused bydry weather, the department has established farming schedules for variouslocalities.
The province plans to grow a total of 36,000ha of summer –autumn rice in Tran Van Thoi, U Minh and Thoi Binh districts and Ca Mau city.
The schedules require farmers to sow 27,000ha of rice afterthey finish preparing the land. The remaining 9,000ha will be sown when thereare rains. The rainy season normally begins in May.
High-quality varieties will account for 65 – 70 percent ofthe province’s summer – autumn rice area, fragrant and specialty varieties for10 -15 percent and medium-quality varieties for 10 percent.
The department has urged farmers to grow more high-qualityand fragrant varieties since they are in high demand.
Nguyen Tran Thuc, head of the province’s Plant Cultivation andProtection Sub-department, said rice farmers should adopt advanced farmingtechniques to improve quality, reduce costs and improve their incomes./.
VNA
