VietNamNet Bridge – Farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta who sowed the summer- autumn rice crop early are facing a threat of lower yields and increased costs because of disease outbreaks.

A rice field in Kien Giang Province’s Go Quao District is affected by rice grassy stunt disease and rice ragged stunt disease, possibly because it was planted too early this time despite authorities’ warnings. - VNA/VNS Photo Le Huy Hai

In An Giang Province, for instance, farmers have planted a total of 228,000ha, and the harvest has begun in some places.  

Nguyen Van Hien, head of the province’s Sub-department of Plant Cultivation and Protection, said: “We hope the price of paddy is stable until the end of the crop so that farmers can earn high profits.”

But unfavourable weather has brought rice diseases which could hit yields, he said.

Diseases often occur when rice is sowed early or late since brown-plant hoppers and other pests from unharvested fields from the previous crop move to the newly sowed fields, he said.

In Dong Thap Province’s Thap Muoi, Tan Hong and Lap Vo districts, some 560ha sowed early have been affected by brown-plant hoppers.

Farmers in the delta had earned large profits in the 2017-18 winter-spring rice crop and so many planted the autumn-summer rice earlier than usual.

Nguyen Thanh Hoa, who has a 2ha rice field in Hau Giang Province’s Vi Thuy District, said he had earned VND45 – 50 million (US$1,980 – 2,200) from the winter-spring rice crop and immediately sowed the next crop.

Nguyen Van Mach Chau Thanh A District, who also sowed his summer – autumn rice in mid-March like Hoa, said local agricultural officials did warn farmers they had to have a gap of at least three weeks between the two rice crops to eliminate diseases.

“But since the price of rice after the winter – spring crop was high, farmers here sowed the summer – autumn rice early.”

This year the Plant Cultivation Department’s schedule for planting the summer – autumn rice crop in the delta was between April and mid-June.

In Kien Giang Province, more than 252,140ha have been planted, with 15,500ha being affected by diseases such as rice grassy stunt disease, rice ragged stunt disease and rice blast disease, according to the local Sub-department of Plant Cultivation and Protection. 

It has instructed district plant cultivation and protection bureaus to regularly report about diseases and warned farmers to destroy rice plants which are severely affected by diseases.

This summer – autumn crop the delta, the country’s rice granary, has planted more than 1.65 million hectares, more than 247,000ha more than last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Source: VNS