Responding to severe cold weather and frost.

Protecting livestock and crops from the cold.

Starting in October, Mr. Duong Van Thanh, Director of the Thanh Long Beef Cattle Farming Cooperative in My Bang commune (Yen Son district), has been constantly prepared with measures to protect his herd of hundreds of cattle from hunger and cold. Mr. Thanh shared that, as a large-scale cooperative raising an average of 200-300 cattle per batch, he pays special attention to the health of his livestock. He specifically noted that while cattle can tolerate hot weather, cold weather can easily lead to illness if they are not well-fed and kept warm. To ensure the healthy growth and development of the herd, Mr. Thanh has covered the entire cattle barn system with tarpaulins to protect against wind and rain; the barn floor is always kept dry and clean. Regarding the feed, he has increased both the quantity and quality of the feed.

According to Mr. Thanh, in warm weather, an adult cow consumes only 3-5 kg ​​of concentrated feed (bran) and a small amount of roughage per day. However, on cold winter days, the feed ration is increased by 20-30% and divided into multiple meals. To ensure sufficient feed for the herd, in addition to the grass grown on the farm, Thanh Long Cooperative also contracts with several cooperatives in Son Duong and Yen Son districts to supply biomass corn and baled straw.

Mr. Thanh said: Years of livestock farming have given him a lot of experience in caring for his animals, especially large livestock like buffalo and cattle, to ensure their healthy growth during the winter. This includes increasing feed rations, balancing starchy foods with roughage, giving buffalo and cattle warm water mixed with diluted salt, and keeping the barn floor dry to prevent foot-and-mouth disease.

People in Trung Yen commune (Son Duong district) cover the base of trees with plastic sheeting to keep them warm and protect them from the cold.

Not only livestock, but also crops and aquatic products are carefully cared for and protected from frost and cold. Mr. Vu Van Thuyen, from Dong Gianh village, Duc Ninh commune (Ham Yen district), said: His family grows 1 hectare of cauliflower and tomatoes... at this time, the tomatoes are starting to bear fruit. However, the sudden drop in temperature accompanied by frost poses a high risk of leaf scorching and premature fruit drop. To avoid damage, Mr. Thuyen had to buy black netting to make a frost-proof structure for the entire tomato crop. According to Mr. Thuyen, in addition to shielding against frost that causes leaf scorching and premature fruit drop, he also has to cover the base of the plants with straw to keep them warm and moist.

Comrade Ha Xuan Khanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Duc Ninh commune (Ham Yen district), said: "In recent days, the weather has suddenly turned cold, with nighttime and early morning temperatures dropping sharply, affecting the growth and development of crops. To protect the crop area, especially the area of ​​winter vegetables serving the markets of Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang cities, the commune has intensified propaganda through the public address systems of communes and wards, advising farmers not to sow successive crops of vegetables when the outdoor temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius."

For vegetable crops ready for harvest, the commune encourages people to harvest early and at the right time to ensure yield and avoid losses; use plastic sheeting, straw, or rice husks to cover the rows and create shelters to protect crops from the cold. At the same time, they should care for and water the plants adequately according to their nutritional needs during periods of severe cold; and apply sufficient and balanced fertilizers to keep the plants healthy and increase their resistance to cold. Especially on days with frost and freezing temperatures, people should spray water on the leaves to remove and dissipate the frost, preventing leaf burn when sunlight penetrates...

Never be complacent.

Comrade Nguyen Cong Ham, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: This year's weather is experiencing very unusual and unpredictable developments. In reality, the experts predicted that winter would arrive earlier this year; however, throughout October and November, temperatures remained stable at 25-30 degrees Celsius, and only in early December did the weather turn cold. This could easily lead to complacency among small-scale producers and livestock farmers.

The cattle of Thanh Long Cooperative in My Bang commune (Yen Son district) are given increased feed rations during the winter.

Comrade Nguyen Cong Ham emphasized: After the losses from the remnants of typhoon No. 3, production activities have initially been restored. To achieve the goal of compensating for the summer crop losses with the winter crop, the Department has issued a document requesting the sub-departments to closely coordinate with the specialized departments of the districts and cities to strengthen forces at the grassroots level, inspect, supervise, and guide localities, and at the same time support people in urgently implementing effective measures to prevent cold damage to crops and livestock. By December 10th, inter-sectoral inspection teams including livestock and crop production had been established and were conducting inspections of cold damage prevention measures for crops and livestock.

Comrade Tran Hai Tuyen, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: The unit is inspecting cold weather prevention and control work in Na Hang, Chiem Hoa, and Lam Binh districts. Initial observations show that people have actively and proactively prepared cold weather prevention plans to protect their own property.

Ms. Ha Thi Vi, from Ha Lang commune (Chiem Hoa district), said: Her family raises breeding buffaloes, usually letting them graze in the forest, but with the recent low temperatures, they have brought the buffaloes back to the barn to feed them grass and corn stalks. Ms. Vi shared: "The buffalo is a valuable asset, so farmers like me wouldn't neglect it!"

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the total livestock population, winter crop area, and fruit tree area are still developing well, with no signs of extreme weather affecting production. However, the weather will be unpredictable and difficult to forecast. To protect assets and minimize losses, farm owners, smallholders, and producers must absolutely not be complacent, but constantly monitor weather developments and proactively take measures to respond.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/ung-pho-voi-ret-dam-ret-hai-203243.html