Prepare solutions to prevent flooding

During the rainy season, fruit trees and rice are two main crop groups that are easily affected by flooding, pests and diseases. To limit damage, farmers actively reinforce the dyke system surrounding gardens and rice fields, dredge canals and ditches to increase drainage capacity.

Farmers proactively reinforce dykes and protect rice

In addition, the rainy season is a favorable time for pests and diseases to develop, especially on fruit trees. Therefore, the provincial Department of Agriculture recommends that farmers regularly visit their gardens to detect early signs of abnormalities such as yellow leaves, root rot, fruit drop, etc. for timely and effective treatment. For crop areas that are ready for harvest, farmers should proactively harvest early to avoid falling, rotting, and reducing the quality of agricultural products. Mr. Tran Van Phat (Thuan Binh commune, Thanh Hoa district) shared: “In the past, my lemon garden was often flooded when there was prolonged heavy rain. In the past two years, I have invested in a drainage system, raised the mounds for planting trees and intercropped windbreak trees such as coconut and banana around the garden.”

Sharing the same view, Ms. Do Thi Bay, who is growing 5 hectares of durian in Tan Lap commune, Tan Thanh district, said: “I regularly dredge canals and ditches around the garden and check the embankments before the rainy season. Thanks to that, even when there is prolonged heavy rain, the garden is not flooded and the durian grows well. Careful preparation helps my family feel more secure during the rainy season”. Regarding rice, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa (Vinh Dai commune, Tan Hung district) said: “Last year, my rice field was flooded due to prolonged rain, causing significant damage. This year, I have reinforced the embankment around the field and invested in additional pumps to drain water quickly when necessary. Thanks to this initiative, I no longer worry about damage if there is a prolonged storm.”

Farmers regularly visit the garden and proactively prevent pests and diseases

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, recently, the situation of pests and diseases on rice has been increasing, especially rice blast, stem borers, brown planthoppers, etc. on rice fields at the seedling, tillering, and panicle initiation stages in the districts of Tan Hung, Moc Hoa, Duc Hue, Thanh Hoa, Duc Hoa, Tan Tru, Thu Thua and Tan An City. The department recommends that farmers proactively visit the fields regularly to promptly detect pests and diseases and have effective prevention measures.

Increase resistance for livestock

Not only crops, livestock are also vulnerable during the rainy season. If barns are not solidly built, they will easily be blown off and flooded, creating conditions for bacteria and viruses to arise. Therefore, livestock households have increased investment in renovation, raising the barn floor, installing drainage systems and using sturdy roofs to ensure the safety of livestock and poultry. At the same time, storing food and water for many days is also of greater concern, especially for large-scale households.

Vaccination to increase resistance for livestock

At the same time, disease prevention and control for livestock is also emphasized. During the rainy season, the humid environment can easily reduce the resistance of livestock, creating conditions for diseases such as anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, diarrhea, respiratory infections, avian influenza, etc. to break out. Therefore, the Veterinary Department recommends that people fully vaccinate their livestock, and supplement vitamins and minerals to improve the health of their livestock. Barns also need to be cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized periodically with lime powder or specialized disinfectants.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Be (Tan Lan commune, Can Duoc district) said: “Before entering the rainy season, I fully vaccinated my family's flock of more than 2,000 chickens, and also stocked up on food in case of prolonged storms”.

Storms are an inevitable part of nature, but the damage from them can be completely minimized if there is good preparation. To do that, close coordination between people, authorities and related organizations is needed. Each production household needs to consider natural disaster prevention and control as part of the annual agricultural production plan.

In the context of increasingly severe climate change, proactively protecting crops and livestock is not only an immediate solution but also a long-term strategy to build a safe, adaptive and sustainable agriculture./.

Reported by Bui Tung 

Translated by NT