Late-season summer-autumn rice crop: Farmers suffer heavy losses.

“OM18, Dai Thom 8, HP1... rice is only 4-5 thousand dong/kg, while fertilizer costs are high, and harvesting costs 350-400 thousand dong/hectare. After harvesting, traders don't buy the rice, so this summer-autumn crop is a huge loss,” lamented farmer Thai Van Duom, Hamlet 12B, Khanh Binh commune.

Báo Cà Mau•06/09/2025

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The rice fields in Hamlet 12B are being harvested while deeply flooded, causing losses during the harvesting process.

In recent days, heavy rains have caused difficulties in harvesting the summer-autumn rice crop in Sub-region III - Northern Ca Mau. In areas like Rach Cui, Hamlet 5, Khanh Binh commune, many households have ripe rice but it is deeply flooded, making harvesting impossible. Mr. Huynh Van Luy's family (Hamlet 5) has 27 acres of rice fields; this season he cultivated 13 acres, sowing twice. When the rice ripened, heavy rains hit, submerging the rice plants up to the top. Although they have a harvesting machine, they couldn't harvest it and had to abandon the crop. This rice crop is considered a total loss for the family.

Many rice fields were flooded and collapsed due to heavy rains.

The rice was ripe, but due to the deep flooding, the harvesting machine couldn't work. Mr. Huynh Van Luy's wife gathered the submerged rice stalks to dry and use as duck feed.

In Hamlet 12B, the land is higher, but the inability to pump water out also makes harvesting difficult. Mr. Thai Van Duom has 20 acres of rice fields that he just harvested but can't sell because traders aren't buying, and prices are unstable. He's determined to dry and store the rice, waiting for prices to rise.

Mr. Thai Van Duom's water pump had to stop pumping to save his rice crop because, according to him, the amount of rainwater was too much, and pumping would only result in losses.

Not only in Khanh Binh commune, but also in neighboring areas such as Khanh Hung, Da Bac... most farmers take advantage of sunny weather to harvest their rice. In Mrs. Dang Thi Ngot's field, although the rice is still green, she has to hire a harvesting machine because she fears that waiting any longer will cause it to be flooded.

Natural disasters, coupled with fluctuating prices, have resulted in farmers breaking even or suffering heavy losses this summer-autumn rice crop. We hope the government will implement policies to support farmers in finding markets for their produce. Furthermore, we hope that local authorities, along with cooperatives and businesses, will develop appropriate production and consumption plans to help farmers stabilize production for the upcoming winter-spring crop.

Although the rice was still green, farmers in Khanh Hung commune took advantage of the opportunity to harvest it, avoiding flooding.

After harvesting, but with no buyers, Mr. Thai Van Duom's family had no choice but to dry and store the rice, waiting for a better price.

Due to fluctuating prices, only 4-5 thousand dong per bushel, Ms. Le Thi Le, from Chu Mia hamlet, Khanh Hung commune, is storing her rice, waiting for better prices.