The Hanoitimes - The Central Meteorology and Hydrology Forecasting Center has warned a water shortage will likely hit the winter-spring rice crop 2011-2012 in northern Vietnam.
The Hanoitimes - The Central Meteorology and Hydrology Forecasting Center has warned a water shortage will likely hit the winter-spring rice crop 2011-2012 in northern Vietnam .
This is the second successive winter-spring rice crop in the country’s northern region that has had no enough water. The Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said northern provinces this year would be planting about 670,000 hectares of rice, one-fifth of the country’s total winter-spring cultivation area.
The department’s head, Nguyen Tri Ngoc, said that before sowing the winter-spring crop, local farmers had been told about a possible water shortage. However, they have almost completed the sowing, Ngoc said, adding his department had worked with relevant agencies to map out plans to ensure irrigation.
According to the department, Hoa Binh, Thac Ba and Tuyen Quang hydropower reservoirs will release some 2.8 billion cubic meters of water in two phases until February 9 to help rice growers have enough water to begin the winter-spring crop in a timely manner.
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