VietNamNet Bridge – The lighting system installed on the HCM City – Trung Luong Highway is responsible for damaging rice crops of a special variety, and the project investor should compensate farmers for losses suffered, officials say.

A stretch of HCM City-Trung Luong Highway in HCM City. The lighting system on the highway is blamed for damaging rice crops. (Photo: VNS)

According to farmers in Ben Luc District's Thanh Phu, My Yen and Tan Buu communes, nearly 100ha of the famous Nang Thom Cho Dao rice variety have not blossomed because they are exposed to the light throughout the night.

One of the farmers facing significant losses, Le Van Muoi, said the farmers wanted the lightling system turned off for a month to allow the rice plants to bloom. "If not, we cannot harvest anything and will become penniless for sure," he said.

Muoi's family has 4.5ha of land cultivating this fragrant rice variety, 3ha of which is located very close to the highway.

While rice seedlings planted on this portion have not bloomed, grains have already sprouted on 1.5ha of rice located 500 metres away from the highway.

His family has been growing this rice variety for many decades. He was able to get a normal harvest last year, but this year, the crop has suffered heavy damage.

Rice seedlings sown since July 13 and set for harvest in the last week of December had not produced a single ear of grain as of December 8, he noted.

Meanwhile, the areas located more than 50 metres away from the highway have not shown signs of damage.

Dr Le Huu Hai, an expert with An Giang University, said the rice along the highway could not blossom because of the phenomenon of light induction. Since the light was turned on during the night, it had affected normal growth of rice, he said.

Ho Van Nam of Thanh Phu Commune said he had planted the special variety rice on two hectares near the highway, spending VND10 million (US$500) per hectare on rent, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

He said he would fall into debt if the rice failed to blossom.

Sharing Nam's plight is Le Quang Thuy, who has 3,000sq.m of land. Thuy is now considering selling the rice plants as grass to feed cows.

Le Minh Duc, director of the Long An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at a productivity of 5 tonnes per hectare and the price of VND7,500 per kilo, the damage suffered per 100ha of rice is about VND3.7 billion ($185,000).

Le Van Banh, head of Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute, said the compensation demand was legitimate because farmers had been cultivating the fragrant rice variety in the area for a long time, and it was their main source of income.

He also confirmed that the lighting system was responsible for the damage that the crop had suffered since its installation and use.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News