Mekong Delta Farmers Receive Help for Losses Caused by Droughts, Salinization

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has asked local governments in the Mekong Delta to support farmers who suffered loss from ongoing drought and salt water intrusion, state media has reported. Governments should give VND2 million ($89.7) and VND1 million per hectare to farmers whose paddy fields were destroyed up to 70% and below 70% as a support, respectively. Mr. Phat and his mission team conducted fact-finding tour the Mekong delta province of Tien Giang on Sunday. He noted that the condition will last longer and relevant agencies need to adopt more measures against the natural disaster to protect paddy field and people’s living. The executive body People’s Committee in Tien Giang province reported that the province has so far had 1,020 hectare of the winter-spring paddy field which was destroyed due to early salinity intrusion. Despite of local efforts to fight against salinity and drought, more areas of paddy field are estimated to be effected, it said, adding the productivity of around 7,000 hectare of the winter-spring crop in districts Go Cong Dong, Go Cong Tay and Go Cong Town is likely to be reduced between 20% and 50%. More than 45,000 households in islet Tan Phu Dong are hauntingly worried about shortage of water for daily activities. Tien Giang's authority has planned to use barges to bring fresh water to gratis supply to residents in the islet. Meanwhile, 34,000 hectare of paddy field in districts An Minh, An Bien, Vinh Thuan and U Minh Thuong in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang were totally destroyed by drought and salinity, which are threatening thousands of the winter-spring rice in Hon Dat district. Six out of 12 Mekong Delta provinces have submitted to government for timely support. (Saigon Giai Phong – Liberated Saigon Mar 7)