Farmers should not underestimate the black streaked dwarf rice disease, which has been causing widespread panic because of its complicated development . . .
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. . .the rice may look healthy on the outside, but the disease may still be affecting its quality, and farmers could see poor harvests and heavy losses. (Photo: LD) |
Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy director of Thai Binh Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the rice may look healthy on the outside, but the disease may still be affecting its quality, and farmers could see poor harvests and heavy losses.
Dinh said that the disease had affected paddy fields in the province last year and had ruined more than 3,000ha of rice, despite the fact that people thought it was under control.
Ngo Tien Dung, head of the Plant Protection Department’s plant protection unit under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there was currently no way of stamping out the disease.
“Farmers should be careful this harvest season to make sure the disease doesn’t have an impact on the productivity of the rice fields, especially since a specific assessment of the disease’s consequences remains elusive,” Dung said.
A report from the disease prevention steering committee showed that on Thursday, 23 among 41 provinces and cities were found to have their rice fields infected, covering a total area of over 20,360ha. About 10 per cent of these fields was completely ruined.
Thai Binh was the worst-hit province, with nearly 18,000ha of infected rice. Currently, 243 among 285 communes in eight districts in the province reportedly had the disease, and more than 1,000ha of rice had been ruined.
The disease was reported to have rapidly spread across northern Lai Chau, Ninh Binh and Bac Giang provinces and in central Thua Thien-Hue Province. In Ninh Binh Province, for example, more than 200ha of rice were found to be infected with the disease each day. Initial tests showed that rice fields in five disease-free districts in the province were also showing signs of stunting. Thus, more than 700ha of infected rice were pulled up.
Bui Si Doanh, vice head of the ministry’s Plant Protection Department, said the State budget would supply sterilising chemicals for the affected provinces, financial support of VND4 million per hectare for farmers and 12kg of rice each month for each head for the next six months, in case there were losses.
Vice minister Bui Ba Bong, who was also head of the disease prevention steering committee, said that the disease was predicted to be more complicated than last year. Thus, farmers should keep an eye on their fields and promptly report any problems to local authorities.
Bong also said that experts and farmers should observe the recovery of affected rice to avoid any impact on quality and quantity, and to ensure the nation’s food security.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
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