MARD urges to save spring crop from prolonging damaging cold

Illustration photo

Presiding over an urgent meeting on February 13 in Hà Nội to discuss solutions dealing with the prolonging damaging cold which can cause negative effects on agricultural production, Minister Cao Đức Phát asked local authorities to remind farmers to postpone the transplant of spring rice in the harsh cold below 15⁰C.

According to the Minister, the weather will get warmer in several days and it is necessary to well conduct rice sowing. 

Minister Phát also urged competent bodies to dispatch four working teams to ecological zones for minimizing damages for husbandry.

After the meeting, the head of the Agriculture Ministry sent urgent telegrams to chairpersons of all northern provinces and asked them to take measures to protect transplanted rice and prepare rice seeds for the spring crop 2008. Every locality should support farmers to overcome damages caused by the cold.

As reported by the Departments of Cultivation and Husbandry, the harsh cold in North Việt Nam from mid-January has caused severe damages to agricultural production. In 16 northern provinces, about 53,000 ha of rice, over 5,000 ha of rice seeding, and 8,238 cows and buffaloes have frozen to death.

By Hoàng Uyên