Nguyen Quoc Viet in An Giang province’s An Phu district makes crab-catching traps to sell to fishermen in the Mekong Delta and Cambodia during the flooding season (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - Farmers in the Mekong Delta are taking measures to adapt to lowlevels of flooding this year by switching to new crops and usingother cultivation methods.
Thedelta’s annual floods, which are caused by the rising water levels of theMekong River in the rainy season, have been lower than usual this year.
Besides itsimpact on agricultural production in these typicallyflooded areas, the delta’sannual floods bring sediment to fertile fields as wellas wild fish and other aquatic species from the upper areas of the MekongRiver.
Duringthis period, farmers can also breed aquatic species in flooded rice fieldsor grow other aquatic crops.
However,this year, the flood waters in Dong Thap and An Giang, the delta’s two upstreamprovinces, have been lower than in previous years.
In DongThap, the water levels at observation stations in mid-August were 0.5 – 2metres lower than the same period last year, according to the Dong Thap Centreof Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.
The waterlevel in early this month was estimated to reach 2.66 metres on theTien River at the Tan Chau Station and 2.36 metres on the Hau River at the Chau Doc Station in An Giang, according to the National Centre of Hydro-MeteorologyForecasting.
Earlier,the centre said that big floods this year would not occur because oflow rainfall.
Manyfarmers have not been able to breed aquatic species in rice fields becauseof the low level of floods.
NguyenVan Dinh in Binh Thanh commune in Dong Thap province’s Hong Ngu town prepared 1million shrimp fry to breed on 10ha, including 7ha of rice fields, during theflood season.
However,he now has to breed the shrimp on a 3 ha nursing pond because flood watershave not flowed into his rice fields.
If floodwaters come late or if there is no flood, he will pump water and useequipment to supply additional oxygen, as well as use industrial feed, to breedshrimp in the 3ha pond.
However,this farming method increases production costs and the shrimp grow moreslowly than shrimp bred in flooded fields where they eat naturalfood.
In HongNgu town’s Binh Thanh commune, rice fields now have no flood water, but lastyear during the same period fields were covered with two-metre highfloods, according to farmers.
Fishermenin the delta’s upstream provinces are also experiencing a poor catch offish and other aquatic species because of the low level of floods.
In AnGiang province’s An Phu district, Nhon Hoi commune has about 100 householdsthat make a living on catching aquatic species, especially Siamese mudcarps, a specialty of the flooding season, according to the commune’s FarmersAssociation.
Mai VanHai, who has caught Siamese mud carps for 30 years in Nhon Hoi, said he hadcaught about 10 kilos of the fish daily in late August last year, buthas only caught only one-half kilo of the fish daily thisyear during the same period.
Craftvillages that make tools for catching fish and other aquatic species have hadto reduce their production because of low demand for the tools.
NguyenQuoc Viet in Nhon Hoi said in previous years he could earn a livelihood frommaking crab-catching traps to sell to fishermen in the delta during theflooding season.
Henormally sells about 700 crab-catching traps in big flood seasons andearns a profit of 14 million VND (600 USD) each season.
However,during this flood season he has only sold 300 crab-catching traps and mostof the buyers are fishermen from Cambodia.
PhamThanh Tam, deputy head of the An Phu Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau,said many households in fishing-tool making villageshad stopped production.
Manylabourers in the commune have gone to big cities to find jobs, he said.
Switchingcrops
Manyfarmers this year have switched from rice or aquatic species to grow lotus andwater caltrop and other crops that do not require too much water.
Ngo Van Dong in Dong Thap’s Hong Ngu district has stopped growing rice and aquaticspecies and turned to lotus cultivation.
“Smalland big floods do not affect lotus cultivation,” he said.
Theprofit from growing rice is 700,000 – 1 million VND (30 - 43 USD) for 1,000sq.m while the profit for lotus is three times higher, he said.
Thedelta’s upstream provinces have launched programmes to provide livelihoodsfor farmers in these typically flood-prone areas.
Vo ThanhNgoan, Deputy Director of the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province’s agencies have improvedthe forecasting of flood levels.
Dong Thaphas long-term plans to adapt to climate change so farmers can work duringthe flood as well as dry season, he said.
Theprovince has turned ineffective rice fields to zones where other highvalue crops and fruits can be grown. It has also provided advancedfarming techniques to farmers.
An Gianghas plans to switch from crops that require high levels of water to crops thatneed much less.
TruongKien Tho, Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province has called on companies topromote high-tech farming and support farmers in these areas toswitch to crops that require less water.-VNS/VNA
Thedelta’s annual floods, which are caused by the rising water levels of theMekong River in the rainy season, have been lower than usual this year.
Besides itsimpact on agricultural production in these typicallyflooded areas, the delta’sannual floods bring sediment to fertile fields as wellas wild fish and other aquatic species from the upper areas of the MekongRiver.
Duringthis period, farmers can also breed aquatic species in flooded rice fieldsor grow other aquatic crops.
However,this year, the flood waters in Dong Thap and An Giang, the delta’s two upstreamprovinces, have been lower than in previous years.
In DongThap, the water levels at observation stations in mid-August were 0.5 – 2metres lower than the same period last year, according to the Dong Thap Centreof Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.
The waterlevel in early this month was estimated to reach 2.66 metres on theTien River at the Tan Chau Station and 2.36 metres on the Hau River at the Chau Doc Station in An Giang, according to the National Centre of Hydro-MeteorologyForecasting.
Earlier,the centre said that big floods this year would not occur because oflow rainfall.
Manyfarmers have not been able to breed aquatic species in rice fields becauseof the low level of floods.
NguyenVan Dinh in Binh Thanh commune in Dong Thap province’s Hong Ngu town prepared 1million shrimp fry to breed on 10ha, including 7ha of rice fields, during theflood season.
However,he now has to breed the shrimp on a 3 ha nursing pond because flood watershave not flowed into his rice fields.
If floodwaters come late or if there is no flood, he will pump water and useequipment to supply additional oxygen, as well as use industrial feed, to breedshrimp in the 3ha pond.
However,this farming method increases production costs and the shrimp grow moreslowly than shrimp bred in flooded fields where they eat naturalfood.
In HongNgu town’s Binh Thanh commune, rice fields now have no flood water, but lastyear during the same period fields were covered with two-metre highfloods, according to farmers.
Fishermenin the delta’s upstream provinces are also experiencing a poor catch offish and other aquatic species because of the low level of floods.
In AnGiang province’s An Phu district, Nhon Hoi commune has about 100 householdsthat make a living on catching aquatic species, especially Siamese mudcarps, a specialty of the flooding season, according to the commune’s FarmersAssociation.
Mai VanHai, who has caught Siamese mud carps for 30 years in Nhon Hoi, said he hadcaught about 10 kilos of the fish daily in late August last year, buthas only caught only one-half kilo of the fish daily thisyear during the same period.
Craftvillages that make tools for catching fish and other aquatic species have hadto reduce their production because of low demand for the tools.
NguyenQuoc Viet in Nhon Hoi said in previous years he could earn a livelihood frommaking crab-catching traps to sell to fishermen in the delta during theflooding season.
Henormally sells about 700 crab-catching traps in big flood seasons andearns a profit of 14 million VND (600 USD) each season.
However,during this flood season he has only sold 300 crab-catching traps and mostof the buyers are fishermen from Cambodia.
PhamThanh Tam, deputy head of the An Phu Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau,said many households in fishing-tool making villageshad stopped production.
Manylabourers in the commune have gone to big cities to find jobs, he said.
Switchingcrops
Manyfarmers this year have switched from rice or aquatic species to grow lotus andwater caltrop and other crops that do not require too much water.
Ngo Van Dong in Dong Thap’s Hong Ngu district has stopped growing rice and aquaticspecies and turned to lotus cultivation.
“Smalland big floods do not affect lotus cultivation,” he said.
Theprofit from growing rice is 700,000 – 1 million VND (30 - 43 USD) for 1,000sq.m while the profit for lotus is three times higher, he said.
Thedelta’s upstream provinces have launched programmes to provide livelihoodsfor farmers in these typically flood-prone areas.
Vo ThanhNgoan, Deputy Director of the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province’s agencies have improvedthe forecasting of flood levels.
Dong Thaphas long-term plans to adapt to climate change so farmers can work duringthe flood as well as dry season, he said.
Theprovince has turned ineffective rice fields to zones where other highvalue crops and fruits can be grown. It has also provided advancedfarming techniques to farmers.
An Gianghas plans to switch from crops that require high levels of water to crops thatneed much less.
TruongKien Tho, Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province has called on companies topromote high-tech farming and support farmers in these areas toswitch to crops that require less water.-VNS/VNA
VNA
