Harsh weather during planting tipped to cause decline in rice harvests in Vietnam

Winter-spring rice crops in the Hong (Red) River Delta, Vietnam’s second largest producer, and the north-central coastal region are expected to be smaller than last year, Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the Cultivation Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in an online conference on Thursday.

The total rice growing area in the two regions this year is 900,000 hectares, 11,000 hectares less than last year.

Meanwhile, rice productivity is expected to reach an average of 6 tonnes per hectare, a drop of more than 0.2 per cent compared with 2010.

The rice output of the two regions is estimated to be 5.4 million tonnes, a decrease of more than 100,000 tonnes compared with last year.

Ngoc attributed the poor harvest to harsh weather conditions and a prolonged severe cold spell when the rice was being planted, which delayed ripening by 20-30 days.

The late harvest would also affect the structure of the rice in the Red River Delta provinces and the summer-autumn crops in the north-central coastal provinces, Ngoc said.

He advised farmers to select the most appropriate rice varieties for the next winter-spring crop.

Provinces also needed to ensure there would be enough water to properly irrigate paddy fields and take appropriate measure against pests and diseases. Sufficient resources should be concentrated on the winter-spring harvest so that the summer-autumn harvest could be planted on time, he said.

Bui Ba Bong, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, also suggested that the next crop should be planted early.

Bong said each locality should select four main rice varieties and four supplimentary varieties to plant. He also said research institutes should createthe most suitable varieties.

"Localities must also ensure that irrigation companies have enough money to provide water in a timely manner for rice cultivation for the summer-autumn season," Bong added.