Brown rice hoppers have been caused widespread damage to rice fields in Binh Dinh Province since early February.
The Binh Dinh People Committee reported Friday that is was facing an emergency situation with rice fields in the whole province being attacked by brown backed rice plant hoppers.
The committee said that the hoppers were found on rice plants from February 3 onwards. In only three weeks, the insects had damaged 1,533 hectares of rice plants in several parts of the province. About 208 hectares have suffered particularly serious damage, the committee said.
Some wards included in the list of localities totally taken over the hoppers are Phu Cat (825 hectares), Tay Son (193.5 hectares), Hoai An (156.5 hectares), and Hoai Nhon (132.5 hectares).
The report said the province is carrying out large scale disinfection which has so far covered 1,000 hectares. However, local scientists are worried that young and baby hoppers can wreak even more damage than the older ones.
The anticipated attack by the young hoppers will take place from March 3-22, is expected to affect young and old rice plants.
In other news, the central province of Quang Nam has suffered relentless hot weather and no rain for a long period. Water levels have plunged steeply in several local rivers that look as though they could run dry. Worsening the situation is sea water intrusion. As a result, water taken from most rivers in several wards as also the historic Hoi An Town is brackish and not suited to irrigating the winter-spring rice crop.
Since February 26, the sea water intrusion of Thu Bon River has been going out of control. The intrusion has taken over the land on which the 19-5 water pumping station is located. The station usually provides fresh water for 500 hectares of rice fields.
It is estimated that in the coming days, over 900 hectares will be damaged by the drought.
Another piece of bad news for the province has come from its Binh Nam Ward in Thang Binh District.
Within the last three days, shrimps farmed by twenty local families have died en masse because of disease that struck on Feb 10.
The Binh Nam ward has 140 hectares that are used for breeding shrimp.
