Salt water intrusion and drought are threatening thousands of hectares of crops in Mekong Delta.
As much as 800,000 ha of rice in the delta may be affected by the endof the month, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment.
Water with a salt content of 0.4 percent had now entered as far inlandas 30 km in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces,according to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research. Cropsin the provinces of Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Hau Giang have also beenaffected by similar levels of intrusion.
To add to their worries, the Hydro-Meteorological Bureau of Ben Treprovince has predicted that salt water may encroach 60 km inland as thedrought peaks.
Duong Quoc Viet, head of Soc Trang’s sub-department of irrigation, saidthat drought and salt water intrusion would continue until thebeginning of May, adding that more than 50,000 ha of the province’scrops are at high risk of being lost from lack of fresh water.
Initial losses caused by salt water intrusion to winter-spring cropswere estimated to total 70 billion VND (3.6 million USD), said TranQuang Cui from the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment.
The ministry’s Cultivation Department has instructed provinces in theregion to save fresh water for farming in reservoirs and canals andclose sluice gates to prevent further salt water intrusion.
Provinces in the region are strengthening measures to respond to saltwater intrusion as the region faces a severe drought this dry season./.
As much as 800,000 ha of rice in the delta may be affected by the endof the month, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment.
Water with a salt content of 0.4 percent had now entered as far inlandas 30 km in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces,according to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research. Cropsin the provinces of Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Hau Giang have also beenaffected by similar levels of intrusion.
To add to their worries, the Hydro-Meteorological Bureau of Ben Treprovince has predicted that salt water may encroach 60 km inland as thedrought peaks.
Duong Quoc Viet, head of Soc Trang’s sub-department of irrigation, saidthat drought and salt water intrusion would continue until thebeginning of May, adding that more than 50,000 ha of the province’scrops are at high risk of being lost from lack of fresh water.
Initial losses caused by salt water intrusion to winter-spring cropswere estimated to total 70 billion VND (3.6 million USD), said TranQuang Cui from the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment.
The ministry’s Cultivation Department has instructed provinces in theregion to save fresh water for farming in reservoirs and canals andclose sluice gates to prevent further salt water intrusion.
Provinces in the region are strengthening measures to respond to saltwater intrusion as the region faces a severe drought this dry season./.
