Urgent rice harvest to avoid the risk of heavy rain.

(Baohatinh.vn) - Farmers in Ha Tinh are urgently heading to the fields to harvest the summer-autumn rice crop ahead of forecasts of a tropical depression continuing to bring heavy rain to the province.

From early morning, many households in Tran Phu village (Dong Tien commune) followed combine harvesters to the fields to harvest rice.

Busy loading rice onto a cart, Mr. Nguyen Van Tam (Tran Phu village, Dong Tien commune) said: “My family cultivates more than 2 acres of rice, so we have to harvest early. The water has mostly receded in this area, so we can finally bring the harvesting machine to the fields.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Cong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Tien commune, this summer-autumn crop season saw the entire commune planting over 700 hectares of rice, with many areas damaged by flooding and storms. Currently, the local authorities have mobilized 23 harvesting machines and developed a plan to distribute them to villages to support farmers in harvesting; encouraging people to take advantage of the weather, harvest quickly and efficiently, and minimize damage caused by prolonged flooding and lodging.

In Thach Lac commune, the post-storm harvest is also very lively. In Nam Thang village, three large combine harvesters are working continuously, and areas where the water has mostly receded are expected to be harvested within the next few days.

Ms. Tran Thi Lan (Nam Thang village, Thach Lac commune) shared: “The rice crop was ready for harvest when the storm hit, so the yield decreased somewhat, but the farmers are used to the risks of this crop season, so they encouraged each other to go to the fields early and harvest as quickly as possible. Whatever we can get is good. I cultivate 6 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares), and I expect to harvest 3 sao today.”

In more difficult areas, even though the floodwaters haven't completely receded, people are still rushing to the fields to harvest by hand, trying to finish as early as possible.

Mr. Nguyen Van Loi (Binh Tan village, Cam Binh commune) said: “My family has mobilized relatives and neighbors to harvest 6 out of 9 sao (approximately 0.6 hectares). We have to make the most of every hour to harvest on time; if we're slow, the rice will sprout, and we'll lose everything. The water level is very high; now we can only harvest by hand because no machines can come in to harvest.”

Reportedly, the entire Binh Tan village (Cam Binh commune) cultivated 91 hectares of summer-autumn rice, of which about 20 hectares were flattened. These days, the village is mobilizing forces and encouraging villagers to concentrate manpower and machinery in the fields to harvest the ripe rice completely, preventing the grains from germinating and causing more serious damage.

Many rice fields throughout the province are still quite deeply flooded, causing harvesting to be halted. Many farmers want to wait a few more days for the water to recede before they can return to the fields.

Ms. Tran Thi Huong (Yen Hoa commune) shared: “Currently, the harvested rice is damp due to the rain, so we have to dry it immediately. I still have 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of rice in the fields, but the water level is too high to harvest. Fields that are heavily flooded are very difficult to recover, so we'll try to harvest the rice wherever it can still stand. Farmers now just hope for more sunny days to finish this harvest.”

In addition, farmers are also focusing on clearing waterways, creating conditions for water to drain quickly from the fields, allowing machinery to operate more smoothly.

According to recommendations from agricultural experts, after storms and heavy rains, farmers should proactively clear waterways, inspect canal and ditch banks, and ensure quick and efficient drainage. For rice fields that are in the heading to ripening stage and have been flattened, farmers should urgently re-erect and bundle the rice into groups of 4-5 to minimize damage and facilitate harvesting later. For rice fields that are ready for harvest (over 85% ripe), farmers should take advantage of favorable weather conditions to harvest, adhering to the principle of "better to harvest while still green than wait until fully ripe."

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/khan-truong-thu-hoach-lua-chay-nguy-co-mua-lon-post294557.html