On September 28, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference in Hai Phong city to provide support for livestock and aquaculture production recovery in provinces and cities affected by Typhoon No. 3.
AQUACULTURE AND LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY SUFFERED DAMAGE WORTH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BILLIONS
Chairing the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that Typhoon No. 3, which made a direct hit on Vietnam, caused significant damage to coastal localities, especially in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city. The prolonged heavy rain in the Northern region after the typhoon also resulted in severe losses of lives and properties of the people and the State.
In the agriculture sector alone, 284,472 hectares of rice were flooded and damaged; 61,114 hectares of crops were inundated and damaged; 39,188 hectares of fruit trees were damaged; 189,982 hectares of forest were damaged; 35,029 hectares and 11,832 cages of aquaculture were damaged and washed away; 44,174 cattle and 5,604,587 poultry were killed.
Reporting on the damage to the livestock industry, Mr. Pham Kim Dang, Deputy Director of the Livestock Department, said that surveys in localities affected by Typhoon No. 3 showed that many farms had their roofs blown off, walls collapsed, and electricity systems destroyed, making it impossible to provide electricity in time. The total loss to the livestock industry is estimated to be around VND 4,000-5,000 billion.
“Many animals died due to the lack of shelter from the rain. In flooded areas, farmers could not relocate their livestock in time as the floodwaters rose rapidly, leading to significant losses of cattle and poultry. In addition, many animals were lost in areas where landslides and severe damage to cages occurred. Some areas are still isolated, and the destruction of infrastructure has made it difficult to access, assess the damage, and carry out relief work”, shared Mr. Pham Kim Dang.
To help the livestock industry get back on its feet after the storm and floods, Mr. Dang proposed that the Government issue a resolution on special mechanisms and policies for organizations, businesses, and individuals affected by the disaster, including tax breaks, reductions, and extensions; support for interest rates, debt restructuring, and additional capital for production recovery.
“This is the time for the livestock industry to transform towards sustainable development. While natural disasters pose risks, we can also see them as opportunities to reorient the industry. For example, after the African swine fever, not only large enterprises but also farmers have changed their perspectives on biosecurity. After storms like this, we will draw lessons to not only prevent but also live with natural disasters to achieve sustainable development”, emphasized Mr. Dang.
In the aquaculture sector, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Fisheries Department, said that the total area of aquaculture damaged by broken embankments and flooding was about 30,137 hectares. The estimated loss to aquaculture due to Typhoon No. 3 and the subsequent floods is about VND 6,180 billion.
Mr. Luan also said that he had worked directly with banks and credit institutions to consider debt restructuring, debt extension, and new loan packages to support people in restoring aquaculture production. At the same time, he proposed that the affected localities urgently mobilize human resources and organize the cleaning of the environment in the flooded farming areas. Measures such as the use of drugs and chemicals for disinfection and sterilization and the treatment of polluted water environments should be promptly implemented.
NEED FOR SWIFT REINVESTMENT TO AVOID MISSING THE PRODUCTION SEASON
Sharing at the conference, Mr. Ngo Hung Dung, Director of Tan An Seafood Company, said that with over 20 years of experience in seafood and aquaculture, he had never witnessed such a devastating storm as Typhoon No. 3. Tan An Seafood Company has two aquaculture units, but after the typhoon, they almost lost everything. The company’s entire sea cage farming system, with about 4,000 tons of harvestable oysters, was completely washed away and could not be recovered.
Regarding the measures for production recovery, Mr. Dung emphasized that the first thing to do is to stabilize the jobs of the company’s employees. Currently, it is the main harvest season, about to enter winter, so the development of shrimp and fish is slower compared to the spring-summer season. Therefore, if the enterprise does not hurry, it may miss the season, and the longer it takes, the higher the risk.
“In this context, the one who acts fast will win. Farmers can choose short-term products such as seaweed or oysters to restore production. Instead of farming song fish, which takes 3 years to harvest, oysters can be harvested in just 6-8 months”, said Mr. Dung.
Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that to restore production after the storm and floods, on September 27, the Prime Minister issued Directive 100, assigning ministries and sectors to recover agricultural production after the severe impact of Typhoon No. 3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also issued many documents to direct the proactive restoration of agricultural production in the fields of crop cultivation, livestock, aquaculture, forestry, irrigation, and natural disaster prevention. In addition, the Ministry provides guidance on techniques for caring for and restoring crops and livestock after the storm; directs and guides field surveys and supports localities in stabilizing the population and relocating people in disaster-affected areas to safe places.
“These difficulties and challenges will affect the growth and export of the agricultural sector in the last months of 2024. However, we must overcome these challenges to achieve the set goals”, said Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.
The Deputy Minister said that from now until the end of the year, the weather will remain unpredictable. Diseases such as piglet disease, foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, and avian influenza are still significant risks. Therefore, hygiene and biosecurity must be given the highest priority, both as a post-disaster task and a requirement in the livestock solution system.
Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also proposed to the Prime Minister to support VND 10,000 billion from the central budget reserve for 2024 to the affected localities, focusing on supporting people’s livelihoods, repairing, upgrading, and reinforcing dykes, reservoirs, and irrigation works, especially critical ones damaged by floods; repairing and upgrading roads, medical facilities, schools, and restoring agricultural production; arranging and relocating people in high-risk areas of natural disasters, especially landslides and flash floods in mountainous areas, to safe places… At the same time, the Ministry requested the Prime Minister and relevant ministries to soon approve the proposal to provide seeds to affected farmers in time to meet their needs.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested localities to urgently review, evaluate the damage, and provide immediate support to the people; organize the implementation of the Ministry’s directives on restoring agricultural production; and proactively handle administrative procedures when enterprises, cooperatives, farms, and household production units in the agricultural sector propose to invest in new projects in the locality. The time for handling administrative procedures should not exceed half of the maximum time prescribed by current legal regulations.
Optimizing Audit Plans for Localities Affected by Storm No. 3
The auditing body is strategizing to adjust its plans and approach to audits. This involves shortening timelines and reducing the scope and number of entities to be audited, with the aim of providing relief to areas affected by Typhoon Number 3.
The Devastating Impact of Typhoon Yagi: Quang Ninh Province Endures Losses of Nearly VND 24,000 Billion
With initial reports coming in from various units and localities in Quang Ninh province, the estimated total damage caused by Typhoon No. 3 amounts to a staggering 23.77 trillion VND.
“Vietcombank Stands Strong with its Customers: Overcoming Adversity Together”
As of the preliminary statistics, 34 branches of Vietcombank have been directly impacted by storms and floods, causing disruptions to their operations and services. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the bank is working diligently to resume full functionality as soon as possible.
The River Recedes: Rail Traffic Expected to Resume on Long Bien and Duong Bridges by Evening
The Vietnam Railways Corporation has announced that train services are expected to resume this afternoon (September 13) as water levels recede to safe levels, allowing trains to cross the Long Bien and Duong bridges safely.
What Business Has to Fork Out the Most in Insurance Claims After a Storm?
As of September 12th, the insurance company estimated customer compensation to exceed VND 2,300 billion, with PVI Insurance leading the way, shouldering the majority of the burden with over VND 2,000 billion in payouts.
