Farmers are urgently working to salvage rice crops that were flattened by the storm.

QTO - Following the impact of Typhoon No. 5, thousands of hectares of summer-autumn rice crops in the province, which were in the heading, milky, and waxy stages and ready for harvest, have been flattened and flooded. Currently, functional units are coordinating with local authorities to direct and guide farmers to focus on implementing solutions to minimize losses in yield and harvest.

Farmers in Tuyen Hoa commune tie rice plants into small clumps to help them stand upright and reduce damage - Photo: TH

Hoa Trach is one of the most severely affected localities, with approximately 523 hectares of rice fields flattened. Pham Duc Hung, Vice Chairman of the Hoa Trach Commune People's Committee, stated: Of the commune's 673 hectares of summer-autumn rice crop, which is nearing harvest, about 250 hectares are flooded and flattened by 50%-70%; 270 hectares by 30%-50%; and approximately 73 hectares have suffered 50% or more damage. The authorities have directed and guided residents to drain water and quickly harvest ripe rice to prevent germination.

This year's summer-autumn crop, Trinh Van Dong's family in Phuc Kieu village planted 0.5 hectares of rice, mainly the Khang Dan variety. Mr. Dong said: "Before the storm, because we couldn't rent a harvesting machine, my family didn't have time to harvest the rice. Now, 70% of the rice is submerged in water, and many areas have started to sprout. Although the water has receded, harvesting is still very difficult because the rice doesn't fall in the same direction but twists in all directions. Harvesting with a machine will be difficult and more expensive."

In Tuyen Hoa commune, 272 hectares of rice are in the milky and grain-filling stages. However, heavy rains have flooded over 106 hectares, with nearly 40 hectares being flattened. As of August 27, 2025, 4 hectares in the area are still flooded. The commune's top priority is clearing waterways and draining water promptly to prevent flooding and avoid the risk of rice grains germinating. Additionally, local authorities advise farmers to tie their rice plants into small clumps to help them stand upright, receive sunlight, minimize pests and diseases, and facilitate the grain filling process.

Ms. Ngo Thi Minh from Uyen Phong village said: "This year, my family cultivated 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) of rice. If conditions are favorable, the yield is estimated at over 3 quintals per sao. The rice is in the ripening stage, but heavy rain has flattened all 5 sao. If we don't quickly prop the rice up, the grains will sprout in just one or two days, greatly affecting the yield."

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, after Typhoon No. 5, over 2,100 hectares of rice in the province, currently in the heading, milky, and waxy stages, were flattened, lodged, and flooded. In accordance with Official Dispatch No. 07/CĐ-UBND dated August 26, 2025, from the Provincial People's Committee on focusing on overcoming the consequences of Typhoon No. 5 and the resulting floods, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has issued a directive to localities to mobilize all available pumping stations and water pumps to enhance timely drainage capacity for flooded areas, especially those with flattened or submerged rice crops.

Accordingly, localities are focusing manpower, materials, and machinery to accelerate the harvesting of rice that is over 80% ripe. For areas where the rice is not yet ripe, people should be instructed and advised to prop up fallen rice plants by tying 3-5 stalks together to help them recover quickly. For rice harvested before typhoon No. 5, people should be instructed to take advantage of sunny weather to dry and preserve the rice to ensure its quality.

According to Bui Phuoc Trang, head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection: Preliminary assessments indicate that most of the rice fields that have been flattened in localities such as Hoa Trach and Nam Ba Don have already ripened, so the impact on yield and production is minimal.

If drainage is done promptly and harvesting is done quickly, the damage will be around 10%-20%. In some localities with late-season rice crops in the milky or ripening stage, the damage is estimated at 30%-50%, depending on the farmers' efforts to mitigate the damage. Currently, the unit is coordinating with localities to compile damage statistics according to Government Decree 09/2025/ND-CP, dated January 10, 2025, to provide timely support to farmers to stabilize production as soon as possible.

Thanh Hoa

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202508/nong-dan-khan-truong-khac-phuc-lua-bi-nga-do-do-bao-37b44a8/