The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will propose to the Government the issuance of a specialized resolution on supporting the recovery of agricultural production after Typhoon Yagi.

Speaking to the press, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi) caused serious damage to the agricultural sector. In particular, the aquaculture and livestock sectors suffered heavy losses.

Could the Deputy Minister please tell us how Typhoon No. 3 has affected agricultural production in general, especially its impact on the industry's growth rate?

- Preliminary estimates to date indicate that Typhoon No. 3 has flooded approximately 200,000 hectares of rice fields; damaged 50,000 hectares of crops; and damaged about 61,000 hectares of fruit trees... Livestock and aquaculture have suffered particularly heavy losses, despite being two of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture.

According to preliminary calculations, Typhoon No. 3 initially caused damage to the fisheries sector of approximately 2,500 billion VND; and livestock sector damage of 2,000 billion VND.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment forecasts a decline in agricultural growth of approximately 0.3%, double the national average (0.15%). In the northern provinces, rice and fruit production is not very large, so losses in crop production can be quickly mitigated by boosting production in the Mekong Delta; as for planting seasons, areas affected by the damage no longer have time for rice cultivation, so winter crops will be prioritized instead.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien.

Accordingly, the Ministry will direct a conference on winter-spring production. In reality, with vegetable crops, harvesting takes only about 25-30 days; fruit trees will gradually recover. Similarly, for aquaculture, the Ministry will also hold a conference on production recovery after typhoon No. 3, inviting provinces to contribute solutions.

Regarding forestry, while specific figures are not yet available, it is estimated that around 500,000 hectares have been damaged. For planted forests, we can harvest the fallen trees for wood pellets and chips, and prepare seedlings for replanting in the spring.

Mr. Deputy Minister, regarding livestock and aquaculture production, the damage is very severe and will require a longer time to recover. Can the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development advise farmers on solutions to shorten the cultivation period, so that products can be available to the market in time for the end of the year?

- In reality, broiler chickens can be ready for market in just over a month; colored-feathered chickens take over 3 months; super-meat ducks and geese only need 45-50 days; and pigs are ready for market after 4-5 months. Therefore, with more than 4 months remaining until and after the Lunar New Year, we can completely recover the amount of products damaged by Typhoon No. 3 and promptly supply the market for the Lunar New Year.

What proposals has the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development submitted to the Government regarding debt restructuring, debt deferral, and the implementation of insurance benefits for livestock and aquaculture farmers who have suffered losses?

- Based on experience in overcoming damage from previous storms and floods, especially the 2020 storm in Central Vietnam, as well as experience in overcoming damage from African swine fever in 2019 and avian influenza outbreaks, providing support according to Decree 02/2017/ND-CP would not be appropriate for the current situation. Therefore, we will propose that the Government issue a specialized Resolution on supporting production recovery after Typhoon No. 3.

This will be a crucial document for us to achieve our most important goal: restoring production in the affected provinces.

Typhoon No. 3 and the subsequent floods caused serious damage to agricultural production. Photo: N. Chuong.

In livestock and aquaculture farming, many households have to borrow large amounts of capital for production. So, what support measures does the Ministry propose to help farmers with debt restructuring, debt freezing, and insurance payments, Mr. Deputy Minister?

- Large-scale commercial livestock and aquaculture farmers are now applying very modern farming methods and scales, especially in marine farming, but some households are currently suffering huge losses, ranging from tens of billions to hundreds of billions of dong.

As I mentioned above, to address this issue, firstly, the Ministry will propose to the Government the issuance of a specialized Resolution on supporting production recovery after Typhoon No. 3, because this typhoon was too large in scale, and even the previous Resolution 42 could not cover it all. Secondly, regarding implementation solutions, the Ministry will assign the Deputy Ministers in charge of relevant fields to meet with localities and industry associations to provide technical support, breeding stock, supplies, feed, etc.

Thirdly, we propose that the Government implement specific debt suspension and deferral measures for businesses and households affected by the disaster. In particular, we must continue to address insurance and reinsurance issues to promote more sustainable development of aquaculture, livestock, and other sectors.

Immediately following the conference chaired by the Prime Minister on September 15th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a meeting on the afternoon of September 16th to implement the Prime Minister's directives. The Ministry will submit a document to the Government and the State Bank of Vietnam requesting that commercial banks, based on confirmation from local authorities, suspend, reschedule, freeze, or reduce interest rates on loans, and even provide support to help farmers quickly obtain the resources to resume production in the shortest possible time.

Ms. Dang Thi Lan (Hong Ha 2 village, My Tan commune, Nam Dinh city, Nam Dinh province) cleans up bundles of chrysanthemums that have rotted due to the storm. Photo: Mai Chien.

How will the damage that has occurred affect the food supply at the end of the year, Mr. Deputy Minister?

- According to the set targets, this year's aquaculture sector alone must achieve 850,000 tons of seafood; exports should reach 800 million to 1 billion USD; and livestock farming must achieve 8 million tons of meat and over 20 billion eggs. However, with the damage caused by typhoon No. 3, the growth rate of these two sectors will be significantly affected.

To address food needs from now until the end of the year, especially before, during, and after Tet (Lunar New Year), the Ministry will direct businesses and industry associations to work together to support the provision of breeding stock, feed, and supplies to quickly restore production and ensure sufficient supply for consumption, thereby helping to recover the CPI, minimize the impact on exports, and keep growth at a minimum.

Given this situation, is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development considering reducing export volumes, for example of rice, to compensate for the North?

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is determined to achieve the government's target for agricultural exports and will not adjust the target.

We have experience dealing with the aftermath of storms in Central Vietnam in 2020 as well as in previous years. Although the water was everywhere, as soon as the floodwaters receded, the entire political system, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, industry associations, businesses, localities, and all forces, worked together to restore production promptly. I am confident that we will be able to do the same this year.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister!

Source: https://danviet.vn/bo-nnptnt-se-de-xuat-chinh-phu-ban-hanh-nghi-quyet-chuyen-de-ve-ho-tro-phuc-hoi-san-xuat-sau-bao-yagi-20240920161046843.htm