Farmers in the drought-hit central southern province of Binh Dinh have abandoned thousands of hectares of ruined paddy and are feeding the dead plants to their cows.
Farmers turn drought-ruined paddy over to cows
Drought has gripped many districts in Binh Dinh Province with Phu My, killing more than 2,100ha of paddy fields. Hoai An District has lost 1,030ha of crops, Phu Cat District 712 ha, Vinh Thanh 254ha and Tuy Phuoc 216ha.
Authorities warn that unless the drought breaks in the next 10 days, up to 10,000ha of paddy will be lost.
Households in My Tai Commune, Phu My District, are already cutting their dead crops.
Dang Dinh Thuc, of My Hoi 3 Village said the paddy was looking good, but could not be irrigated after underground water was exhausted, "so we have to use them as the food for our cows.”
Another resident, Tran Thi Cuc, said My Tai Commune has faced drought for three consecutive years, but this year is the most severe for ten years. Her family has 1.1ha of paddy, but one third has already been lost.
A well at the paddy field
The chairman of My Tai Commune, Ho Van Long, said that local households were being pushed into poverty due to drought.
Desperate farmers have been digging wells adjacent to their paddy in hope of finding water.
Authorities of My Tai Commune spent VND24m to dig ponds, but the water was soon exhausted.
Drought in Binh Dinh Province has created an urgent need for water by 8,000 families