Heavy rains cause damage to salt fields in Quynh Luu

The recent heavy rains have caused a series of salt fields in coastal communes of Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province to be flooded and severely damaged, causing losses to salt workers.

In coastal communes such as An Hoa, Tien Thuy, Quynh Nghia - considered the "salt granary" of Quynh Luu district - localized flooding has caused a series of salt fields to be submerged in water, the fields' surfaces have been broken, and salt storage warehouses have also been flooded. The white salt fields that are usually seen in the dry season are now only left with patchy, abandoned ground.

Flooding of salt fields in Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu district has greatly affected the livelihoods of local people. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Tran Van Tam, a salt farmer in Tan An hamlet, An Hoa commune, shared: “Since the beginning of the season, the weather has been erratic. We have not been able to harvest salt, and have had to spend effort and money to redevelop the fields. My family lives on 4 sao of salt, and now we are left with nothing.”

Normally, this is the peak season for salt production when the sun is hot and long, the yield is high and the income is stable for the people. However, according to many salt farmers, this year's salt crop is almost a "total loss" due to continuous rain. Some people compare salt production to "gambling with the sky", when just one unseasonal rain can ruin the entire crystallization process.

Flooding has severely damaged salt fields in An Hoa commune, Quynh Luu district. Photo: Van Truong.

During this year’s salt crop, most of the fields suffered at least 4-5 heavy rains. After each rain, all the hard work had to be done again. Each time like that, millions of dong of investment money went down the drain,” said a salt farmer in Tien Thuy commune.

Mr. Ho Anh Dung - Chairman of the People's Committee of An Hoa commune said that the whole commune has about 142 hectares of land for salt production. "Every year in the middle of the season, the output reaches about 8,000 tons of salt, but this year it has only reached more than 3,000 tons. Not to mention the very low price of salt, for more than 10 years it has only been around 1,500 VND/kg," said Mr. Dung.

The commune government has mobilized people to urgently overcome the consequences, repair the dam, and flexibly switch to other jobs such as construction workers, masons, etc. to improve their income while waiting for the weather to stabilize.

Salt fields flooded by rainwater in Quynh Luu district have caused local people to lose their crops. Photo: Van Truong

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh - Vice Chairman of Quynh Luu District People's Committee, the whole district has more than 600 hectares of salt production, spread over 9 communes with 12 cooperatives and 1 enterprise. Annual salt output usually reaches from 45,000 to 50,000 tons, with many products such as refined salt, iodized salt, multi-mineral salt reduction salt...

The salt season begins in March and lasts until July of the lunar calendar, a period considered ideal for salt production due to the abundant sunshine. However, this year, unpredictable weather has seriously affected the production process and overall productivity. The district has directed salt-growing communes to encourage people to proactively repair damage caused by heavy rains that flooded the salt fields.

Farmers in Quynh Luu district have to spend a lot of effort and money to rebuild their fields after they were flooded. Photo: Van Truong

Salt making is already a difficult job, but now it is even more precarious because it depends entirely on the weather and the market. Salt prices do not increase, output is unstable, while people still cling to the traditional profession left by their ancestors.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/mua-lon-gay-thiet-hai-cho-nhung-canh-dong-muoi-o-quynh-luu-10299037.html