Disease threat to winter crops in Viet Nam

Provinces in the north and north central region needed to take drastic measures to tackle drought and rice diseases that would threaten the region during the winter-spring crop, urged Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong of Viet Nam.

Bong said the winter-spring crop typically resulted in high quality crops and was very productive, accounting for about 55 per cent of the annual output.

This year, the region planned to grow 880,000 hectares of rice with expected yeild of 5.8 – 6.4 tonnes per hectare, about 30 kilos more per hectare than the previous crop, said the ministrys Cultivation Department director Nguyen Tri Ngoc.

He suggested localities should grow three or four primary varieties of rice and one or two extra types to ensure sufficient supplies for trade and reduce pressure from diseases and cost.

The National Hydro-Meterological Forecasting Centre warned that three to four long, strong cold spells would likely hit the region in the next two months, earlier than previous years.

Drought was also forecast to be more severe than in past years because at present, the water volume in the regions reservoirs was only about 70-80 per cent of capacity, said Dang Duy Hien, head of the Irrigation Division under the ministrys Irrigation Department.

The ministrys Plant Protection Department warned that rice varieties effected by diseases were still growing in the fields while the weather could create favourable conditions for the development of diseases.

Hien said that his office would work closely with the countrys electricity authority to manage the reservoirs and still provide enough water for crops.
"The water will be released from reservoirs twice instead of three times as in past years to save water," he said.

He recommended localities to start seeding rice from next January to March and to consider shifting to cultivation of corn and other vegetables that required less water.

Central provinces asked for more Government support to expand the area of hybrid varieties and mitigate the effects of diseases and drought.

The ministry also recommended the Government to grant stored seeds to central provinces, including 2,000 tonnes of rice seeds, 1,000 tonnes of corn and over 200 tonnes of other plants.