Illustrative image (Source: vnexpress.net) HCM City (VNA)- Abnormal weather late last year and earlier this year has caused losses forfarmers in the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc.
In Dong Nai province, many kinds of perennial and fruit trees died due toprolonged and heavy rains during the dry season. Productivity has just reached30 percent as compared to last year’s crops.
Nguyen Thi Kim Mai, a farmer in Phu Ngoc commune in Dinh Quan district, said“the mango trees could not be fruit-bearing because the unseasonal rains madefungus attack the flowers”.
Mai’s family is growing 14ha of mango and 10 ha of cashew. In previous years,her family harvested about 200 tonnes of mangoes, which brought a profit ofhundreds of million VND per year along with 500 million VND profit from cashew.
However, since late last year, the abnormal weather has caused her family’smango and cashew yields to dramatically decrease.
Pepper growers have also suffered similar losses, with hundreds of hectares ofpepper destroyed and many households pushed to bankruptcy.
Tran Van Hoanh, a pepper grower in Song Ray commune of Cam My district, saidhis family has 10,000sq.m of pepper that usually yields 5 tonnes and a profitof 600 million VND annually.
But since earlier this year, the unseasonal heavy rains destroyed 70 percent ofthe total trees.
“Many working hours of my family members and money lent from banks were washedaway”, he said.
According to the farmer, pepper is considered a “gold” tree, but it needs a biginvestment.
Growing one hectare of pepper costs 600-800 million VND. The tree just bearsthe beans after 4 years, said Hoanh.
“My family will lend more from banks for re-growing. But I am not sure aboutthe weather”, he said.
“The weather is developing unusually, and I am worried about diseases to thetrees. And the farmers cannot deal by themselves”, he said.
According to Dong Nai province’s Cultivation and Plant Protection Department,the province has about 11,500ha of mango, 40,000ha of cashew, 14,300 ha ofpepper, and 11,000ha of rambutan.
Tran Lam Sinh, the department’s head, said local government has set up workingteams to inspect the situation and draw out measures to help farmers preventdiseases from spreading.
The recent abnormal weather has damaged dozens of hectares of mango andrambutan and destroyed hectares of pepper.
Pepper and cashew growers in Binh Phuoc province have suffered the samesituation, due to the impacts of climate change.
Binh Phuoc province is considered Vietnam’s cashew kingdom. The farmers earnedbig profits last year, when the yield reached 202,000 tonnes on total area of149,000ha and the price was at peak as compared previous years, reported theprovincial Agriculture and Rural Development.
However, this year will be hard.
“The unseasonal rains destroyed cashew flowers, so this year the yield willdefinitely fall by 50 percent”, Nguyen Van Chien from Bu Gia Map district told DauTu (Invesment) Review.
“The weather this year is so strange. I have never ever seen heavy rains inFebruary. The rain destroyed all my flower-bearing trees”, said Nguyen Van Tuin Dong Phu district.
The unusual weather has not only caused losses for farmers but also forexporting businesses.
The big concern for pepper and cashew exporters is lack of products to fulfillcontracts signed this year.
According to Tran Hoang Son, Director of Gia Bao Cashew Company, the cashewprice will increase to 50,000 VND from 45,000 VND per kg due to crop losses.
“The increase of price is not the only concern. The product scarcity is reallya headache for the business”, Son said.
We are afraid we will lack products to fulfill the contracts this year, hesaid.
Hua Thi Lien, Director of Viet Pepper Company based in HCM City, expressed herworries about foreseen losses of pepper crops.
“Our companies signed big contracts with partners in India, Canada, and China,”she said.
The company will definitely suffer losses due to price hikes and lack ofproducts for export, Lien said.-VNA
In Dong Nai province, many kinds of perennial and fruit trees died due toprolonged and heavy rains during the dry season. Productivity has just reached30 percent as compared to last year’s crops.
Nguyen Thi Kim Mai, a farmer in Phu Ngoc commune in Dinh Quan district, said“the mango trees could not be fruit-bearing because the unseasonal rains madefungus attack the flowers”.
Mai’s family is growing 14ha of mango and 10 ha of cashew. In previous years,her family harvested about 200 tonnes of mangoes, which brought a profit ofhundreds of million VND per year along with 500 million VND profit from cashew.
However, since late last year, the abnormal weather has caused her family’smango and cashew yields to dramatically decrease.
Pepper growers have also suffered similar losses, with hundreds of hectares ofpepper destroyed and many households pushed to bankruptcy.
Tran Van Hoanh, a pepper grower in Song Ray commune of Cam My district, saidhis family has 10,000sq.m of pepper that usually yields 5 tonnes and a profitof 600 million VND annually.
But since earlier this year, the unseasonal heavy rains destroyed 70 percent ofthe total trees.
“Many working hours of my family members and money lent from banks were washedaway”, he said.
According to the farmer, pepper is considered a “gold” tree, but it needs a biginvestment.
Growing one hectare of pepper costs 600-800 million VND. The tree just bearsthe beans after 4 years, said Hoanh.
“My family will lend more from banks for re-growing. But I am not sure aboutthe weather”, he said.
“The weather is developing unusually, and I am worried about diseases to thetrees. And the farmers cannot deal by themselves”, he said.
According to Dong Nai province’s Cultivation and Plant Protection Department,the province has about 11,500ha of mango, 40,000ha of cashew, 14,300 ha ofpepper, and 11,000ha of rambutan.
Tran Lam Sinh, the department’s head, said local government has set up workingteams to inspect the situation and draw out measures to help farmers preventdiseases from spreading.
The recent abnormal weather has damaged dozens of hectares of mango andrambutan and destroyed hectares of pepper.
Pepper and cashew growers in Binh Phuoc province have suffered the samesituation, due to the impacts of climate change.
Binh Phuoc province is considered Vietnam’s cashew kingdom. The farmers earnedbig profits last year, when the yield reached 202,000 tonnes on total area of149,000ha and the price was at peak as compared previous years, reported theprovincial Agriculture and Rural Development.
However, this year will be hard.
“The unseasonal rains destroyed cashew flowers, so this year the yield willdefinitely fall by 50 percent”, Nguyen Van Chien from Bu Gia Map district told DauTu (Invesment) Review.
“The weather this year is so strange. I have never ever seen heavy rains inFebruary. The rain destroyed all my flower-bearing trees”, said Nguyen Van Tuin Dong Phu district.
The unusual weather has not only caused losses for farmers but also forexporting businesses.
The big concern for pepper and cashew exporters is lack of products to fulfillcontracts signed this year.
According to Tran Hoang Son, Director of Gia Bao Cashew Company, the cashewprice will increase to 50,000 VND from 45,000 VND per kg due to crop losses.
“The increase of price is not the only concern. The product scarcity is reallya headache for the business”, Son said.
We are afraid we will lack products to fulfill the contracts this year, hesaid.
Hua Thi Lien, Director of Viet Pepper Company based in HCM City, expressed herworries about foreseen losses of pepper crops.
“Our companies signed big contracts with partners in India, Canada, and China,”she said.
The company will definitely suffer losses due to price hikes and lack ofproducts for export, Lien said.-VNA
VNA
