Peach and kumquat growers in Nhat Tan ward (Tay Ho district, Hanoi) have been left reeling after recent historic floods destroyed between 70% to 100% of their crops. The rising waters of the Red River have inundated numerous ornamental gardens in the area.

Water remains pooled at the entrance to the ornamental gardens in Nhat Tan village this morning, September 13. Following several days of torrential rain and severe flooding, clear skies and temperatures between 30 and 33 degrees Celsius have returned.

Mud is visible at the base of trees across Nhat Tan's fields, with the shallowest flooded areas measuring nearly 80 cm deep. Near the riverbank, the discolored trees reveal the severe impact of the deep water levels.

Many households with gardens situated far from the dike faced significant challenges in rescuing their plants due to the extensive damage and lack of manpower.

Mr. Tinh reported that his family lost 650 peach trees and expressed hope of salvaging some roots. "It will take another three years before we can sell peaches again. We need to replant young peach trees, which will then require another year for grafting," he said.

A local peach grower, who has been cultivating peaches since he was 18, noted that this is the second time he has witnessed such devastation, with the first occurring in 1971. "Yesterday, the water level was more than 1 meter deep," he recounted.

Similarly, artisan Le Ham's That Thon peach garden, which houses about 500 trees, was also severely affected by the floods. Ms. Thu reported managing to save only a quarter of her garden's trees by relocating them to the roadside, while Mr. Ky’s neighboring garden estimated losses of approximately 3 billion VND.

Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet, who managed to relocate 300 kumquat trees to higher ground, faces the task of cleaning the mud-covered fruits. "My family owns about 7 acres with roughly 1,000 kumquat trees. The dike was too far away for us to move them in time, resulting in a loss of about 700 trees," Ms. Tuyet explained.

The salvaged kumquat fruits still require extensive cleaning in the coming days. Additionally, a local pottery business has also been affected, with many pots and jars broken and submerged by the floodwaters.

Ms. Tuyet and her team are currently working to clean and salvage their pottery goods. "We will assess the full extent of the damage once the water has completely receded and debris is visible," she added.

This morning, local farmers began using boats to transport cages to distant gardens to rescue dogs that guard the ornamental plants. Each garden household typically has one or more dogs for this purpose.