Dong Thap to flood rice fields for fertility

The fields will be inundated up to 40-80cm until mid-October, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The waters deposit sediments in fields.

This year, the flooding season began one month later than usual because of the low rainfall in the Mekong River’s upper reaches, and water began flowing into rice fields in upper areas in Dong Thap province, one of the delta’s upstream provinces, only in early September.

Nguyen Phuoc Thien, deputy director of the department, said in areas with reliable dykes, localities could release floodwaters into rice fields but have to do so safely and ensure fruit orchards and vegetable fields are not affected.

They should proactively implement measures like inspecting and repairing important dykes protecting paddies, sluice gates and pumping stations to cope with floods and rains to protect crops, he said.

Nguyen Van Anh, a farmer in Hong Ngu district’s Thuong Thoi Hau B commune, said: “Sediments make rice fields fertile and increase the rice yield in the next crop.”

But the floodwaters have inundated vegetables and short-term crops that were planted in alluvial areas along rivers.

Pham Van Dao planted 1ha of papaya in Hong Ngu district’s Thuong Thoi Tien town and it was inundated.

Locals thought the floods would not come this year and so planted short-term crops like red chilli and papaya, he explained.

The floods came when the crops fruited, and damaged them, he said.

Hong Ngu district has 280ha of alluvial areas along the Tien River, a tributary of the Mekong. Local authorities have warned farmers not to grow crops in the alluvial areas during the flood season.

But the floodwaters also bring fish and other aquatic species to provide a livelihood to many people.

The flooding season is also the harvest time for sesbania sesban and water lily flowers, specialty flood-season foods.

Dang Van Duc of Hong Ngu district’s Thuong Thoi Hau A commune said he and his wife can catch a few kilogrammes of Siamese mud carp, a flood specialty, and dozens of kilogrammes of other small-sized fish every night.

They can earn 500,000-1 million VND (21-43 USD) a day from this, he said.

Traders buy Siamese mud carp for 80,000-100,000 VND a kilogramme and other small-sized fishes for 6,000 VND.

The flooding in the upstream areas and rice fields this year is less than normal, according to the Dong Thap Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.

It is expected to peak at the end of this month and early next month, the centre added.