Farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces have suffered great losses due to un-seasonal rains.
Since March 18, it has rained heavily in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu. These prolonged un-seasonal rains have destroyed more than 2,800 hectares of salt in the coastal areas, including in the district of Dong Hai where farmers lost 2,000 hectares of salt, said Luong Ngoc Lan, director of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to initial estimates, the province has lost 23,000 tons of salt worth over VND10 billion (over US$481,000).
Tiger shrimp breeders in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang were in despair as precipitation has killed the aquatic species in tens of thousands of hectares. Moreover, the rainfall also flattened large areas of ready to harvest ripe winter-spring crops down to the ground and submerged them in water. In such a situation, combine harvesters cannot work in inundated areas while labor costs are very high.
According to the National Center for hydro-meteorological forecasting, a cyclone expected of force 8 to 9 accompanied with severe thunderstorms or tornados in the coastal areas around Central and North Vietnam and in the East Sea including the island of Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands ) threatening lives of fishermen at sea, while rain showers will occur in South Vietnam.
