QUẢNG TRỊ — Farmers in the central Quảng Trị and Hà Tĩnh provinces were hit the hardest by storms Talas and Sonca as their fruits and plants were damaged by strong winds and floods.

In Quảng Trị, a total of 120ha of watermelons was soaked in rainwater flooding, resulting in huge losses to local farmers.

Phan Đáo, a farmer in the province’s Triệu Trạch Commune, said his family tried to take out the water in an attempt to harvest the inundated watermelons. “These watermelons will be pig feed as they are rotten and cannot be consumed as fruit,” he said, adding the family is facing losses.

A report by Triệu Trạch Commune authorities said total loss could be as much as VNĐ1.8 billion (US$79,000), a significant amount for the poor commune.

Some 600ha of rice in the province was also submerged due to Storm Sonca, with the water hindering growth.

Quảng Trị’s Vĩnh Linh District also lost some 300ha of rubber trees in the storm. Strong winds damaged the trees and would take a long time for them to recover before they are ready again for latex harvesting.

Đoàn Quang Luật, a local farmer, said he lost at least VNĐ600 million ($26,000) due to the damaged trees, adding that he earned one million đồng a day from harvesting latex.

In Hà Tĩnh, a total of 11,710ha of rice and vegetables was flooded due to Storm Talas, causing enormous losses to local farmers.

Nguyễn Thị Quế, a resident of the province’s Sơn Trung District, said her sweet corn and green beans were submerged in the water and she now had to collect plants to feed her cows.

Lê Quang Vinh, head of agriculture and rural development in Hà Tĩnh’s Hương Sơn District, said floodwater remained high, thus local authorities needed time to calculate the actual loss. However, he suggested providing seeds to local farmers to replant the crop. — VNS