Addressing the water shortage for crops and livestock.

Prolonged hot weather can easily lead to water shortages for agricultural production. To ensure water supply for crops and livestock, specialized agencies, local authorities, and farmers are urgently implementing various solutions to regulate and conserve water resources and apply appropriate care measures.

Water-saving irrigation during the hot season has helped the 5,000m2 of yellow melons grown in greenhouses by Mr. Dinh Van Thang's family in Hamlet 1, Ho Vuong Commune, yield high income.

Mr. Nguyen Van Kien's family in Hamlet 20, Tan Tien Commune, has 2 hectares of whiteleg shrimp farming using high-tech methods. He renovated and invested in building 9 ponds across this entire area. To ensure a sufficient water supply for shrimp growth, he constructed a reservoir pond with an area of ​​500 square meters and a capacity of approximately 1,000 cubic meters. Mr. Kien stated: "The water source for the ponds is the Can River. Currently, it's the hot season, and the river water level is consistently low, sometimes even reaching the dead water level. To ensure a water supply for the shrimp ponds, I have to wait for high tide to channel water into the reservoir pond. After treatment, the water is then pumped into the ponds. Thanks to this proactive water management, the shrimp in the ponds thrive, bringing my family billions of dong in profit annually."

At this time, the 1,000 square meters of yellow melons in the greenhouse of Mr. Dinh Van Thang's family in Hamlet 1, Ho Vuong Commune, are about to be harvested. Holding the heavy, ripe melons, Mr. Thang said: "My family has 5,000 square meters of land that was previously used for rice cultivation, but it wasn't effective due to unreliable water sources and frequent pest and disease problems. In 2019, I converted the entire area to growing 'Kim Hoang Hau' melons using high-tech agricultural methods. I invested 5-6 billion VND to build 5 greenhouses, each with an area of ​​1,000 square meters, and installed a drip irrigation system using Israeli technology. After deducting expenses, this model brings my family a profit of over 1 billion VND per year."

Ho Vuong commune currently has approximately 970 hectares of agricultural land, including 380 hectares of rice paddies, 125 hectares of sedge fields, and the remainder for other crops. Mr. Pham Ba Bon, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, stated: “Due to its location in an area with limited water resources, when the Nga Son Irrigation Branch plans to pump water, in addition to guiding farmers on efficient water extraction and usage to avoid wasting water, the local authorities focus on storing water in ponds, lakes, and canals. Furthermore, we encourage people to convert less productive rice paddies to other crops. Simultaneously, we are applying water-saving irrigation technology. Currently, 85 hectares of potatoes and cantaloupe in the commune are using drip irrigation technology. This technology avoids water waste while ensuring good crop growth and development.”

The Nga Son Irrigation Branch, under the Bac Song Ma Irrigation Company Limited, is responsible for irrigating the communes of the former Nga Son district. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoan, branch director, said: “If the hot weather continues, the area under our unit's irrigation responsibility is likely to experience water shortages, estimated at over 200 hectares, concentrated in high-lying fields without irrigation infrastructure. To ensure water supply, we will implement measures to create water sources such as closing saltwater intrusion barriers and retaining freshwater, and working with the Ninh Binh provincial irrigation branch to create water sources through the Tam Diep river system. In more difficult cases, we will propose that the company operate the Cong Phu pumping station to bring water in and create a water supply source. At the same time, we will assign staff to take turns on duty 24/7 at the main irrigation works to operate the pumps and release water as requested by local authorities. We will implement rotational irrigation programs for the canals in each irrigation system and widely publicize the irrigation schedule so that people are aware of it. The unit's goal is to try to prevent crop areas from experiencing water shortages that could affect yields.”

In the context of increasingly evident climate change, extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts are on the rise. Proactively securing irrigation water, implementing comprehensive drought mitigation measures, and providing proper crop care will contribute to ensuring productivity, stabilizing agricultural production, and increasing people's income.

Text and photos: Minh Ly

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/khac-phuc-tinh-trang-thieu-nuoc-cho-cay-trong-vat-nuoi-288111.htm