Nghe An farmers protect livestock and crops from the cold

Chickens and piglets are warmed by specialized light bulbs. Photo: TP

After selling her flock of sugarcane roosters on the occasion of Lunar New Year, taking advantage of the warm weather, Ms. Hoang Thi Cuc in Lien Chung hamlet, Phong Thinh commune (Thanh Chuong) managed to re-flock. "Just after 1 week of flocking, it started to rain and cold. Chickens are very allergic to erratic weather, so I had to spread rice husk bedding for the chickens, put them in a closed room to warm them with a specialized heating lamp, and also warm the water for the chickens to drink," Ms. Cuc said.

Covering the cowshed with tarpaulin to protect it from the wind. Photo: TP

These days, the temperature in the mountainous areas is low. Therefore, Mr. Hoang Kim Tung - a trader specializing in supplying piglets in Ky Son district - has been transporting pigs to sell to the villagers, providing animal feed and instructing people on how to protect pigs from the cold. From January 10th to now, he has supplied about 1,500 piglets to households in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts to restore their herds after Tet.

According to Mr. Tung, the native black pigs only meet part of the people's needs, so the imported black crossbred pigs need time to adapt to the harsh climate here. "The demand for herd restoration is high, and people have entered the herd during the cold and rainy season, so when providing the pigs, I instructed people on how to supplement nutrition, spread straw for the pigs to lie on, cover the barns, and add heating lamps for the pigs. At the same time, I recommend that people choose pigs with high weight and have been fully vaccinated to avoid risks," said Mr. Tung.

Highlanders light fires to keep their livestock warm. Photo: TP

"Although the temperature in this cold spell has not dropped low, we have sent notices to households, asking people to herd their cows back to their barns, cover them, and have plans to store food, and not let their buffaloes and cows roam freely during this cold spell," said Mr. Luong Van Huy, an agricultural official in Quy Chau district.

Storing green food for livestock during cold days. Photo: TP

In the plains, the temperature remains above 16 degrees Celsius, but due to the rain and frost, taking care of vegetables and other crops is quite difficult. Accordingly, in specialized crop areas, people increase protection for plants by covering them with plastic, covering them with black nets to prevent frost, and incubating the roots of plants with straw, stubble, etc.

Particularly for the rice area in the branching and tillering period, in addition to completing pruning, farmers also increase field visits and take measures to protect rice plants from the cold. Mr. Phan Duy Hai - Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection said: Although this year is considered a warm year, the occurrence of severe cold and frost is inevitable. Especially for seedlings and newly planted plants affected by frost, the cells of the plant can be destroyed, young leaves begin to show signs such as curling of leaf tips, yellowing, leaf fall, etc. leading to the death of the plant. Thus, to protect crops during cold spells, farmers should base on reality, ability as well as specific subjects to choose appropriate measures.

Specifically, for rice, it is necessary to keep the water level in the field at 3-5 cm, stop fertilizing with nitrogen, increase NPK phosphate fertilizer for rice with appropriate dosage; for vegetables, add ash, rice husk, cover with plastic, cover with black net. If the frost is thick and there is no rain during the day, it is necessary to pump water to wash the leaves, to avoid burning the leaves and rotting the roots.

"According to the forecast, this cold spell will end in the next few days, the weather will be warm and sunny again and then there will be a deep cold spell, the weather will be warm and sunny - alternating with cold and rainy, very favorable for pests to develop, people need to pay attention to monitor to have timely prevention methods" - a representative of the provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection recommended.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nong-dan-nghe-an-chong-ret-cho-vat-nuoi-cay-trong-post285647.html