TraVinh (VNS/VNA)ꦍ  — The People’sCommittee of the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has decided to providerelief worth more than 40 billion VND (1.7 million USD) to more than 28,000farming households to revive agriculture, which was severely affected bydrought and saltwater intrusion in the 2019 - 20 dry season.

Morethan 23,410ha of rice, vegetables, sugarcane and fruits were damaged. Householdsgrowing rice, vegetables and sugarcane will get 1 million VND per hectare iftheir crops suffered 30 - 70 percent damage and 2 million VND if the loss wasgreater. Forfruit orchards, the relief amounts are 2 million VND and 4 million VND. PhamMinh Truyen, director of the province's Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said drought and saltwater intrusion have increasingly worsenedand affected many farming areas. Inthe dry season that ended last month, the saltwater intrusion began earlierthan normal and affected most farming areas in the province, damaging manycrops, especially rice. Torevive agricultural production, the department has adjusted the rice growingschedules to ensure there is water to irrigate the next summer – autumn, autumn– winter and winter – spring crops. Ithas restructured cultivation and encouraged farmers to use rice fields that areunproductive in the dry season to grow other, drought-resistant crops. Itplans to have three rice crops grown in a year only in areas with assuredavailability of water. In areas affected by saltwater intrusion and drought,farmers are encouraged to grow two rice crops and a drought – resistant thirdcrop. Lastyear the Mekong Delta province planned to switch completely to other cropson 7,400ha of unproductive rice fields, but only managed 2,371ha because manyfarmers were hesitant since they were not secure about their knowledge offarming techniques for the new crops, risks of diseases and demand.   Tohelp them confidently switch to other crops, the province has provided themwith advanced techniques and undertaken promotional activities to find steadyoutlets for their new produce. Ithas encouraged them to join co-operatives and co-operative groups to improvefarming efficiency and incomes. In2020 - 22, the province plans to spend more than 10 billion VND foragricultural extension activities such as training farmers in techniques forgrowing crops and breeding animals and aquaculture. Since 2014 local farmers have switched toother crops on more than 19,000ha of unproductive rice fields, earning 50 percentmore than from rice, according to the department./.