According to affected localities, farmers have resumed production following rain, but they are almost empty-handed. These crops are being planted for a fourth time. Every 1,000 square metre of damaged land cost farmers 537 USD - a large amount for minority households.
Households are forced to borrow to invest in production. These loans increase production costs. Sugarcane – the primary crop of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa province covering 40 thousands hectares, has seen investment costs increase by 30-40%.
"The Farmers’ Association has made deal with the Agriculture Bank, enabling farmers to borrow loans. We’ve done all we could to make bank loans available to farmers", Nguyen Ngoc Hoang - Chairman of Ninh Tan’s Farmer Association, Ninh Hoa Commune, Khanh Hoa Province - spoke.
There are still concerns that the drought could last until August. Perhaps it’s time for a new solution for farmers in the south central region.
