Brian Jeffrey
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has highlighted severe damage caused by recent storms and flooding in rural regions. As of September 14, the losses are staggering, with approximately 21,800 livestock and 2.62 million poultry reported dead.
The regions most affected include Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, and Hanoi, which have recorded the highest casualty figures among livestock and poultry due to the typhoon.
In the aftermath of the floods, which have now receded, many fowl and animals have perished. Authorities are encouraging locals to purchase surviving livestock, as many breeding farms have been devastated and require a lengthy recovery period.
In the Tam Xa commune of Dong Anh district in Hanoi, local farmer Hoang Ngoc Doan observed the remaining fowl after the floodwaters receded. His 2.6-hectare farm, which featured extensive cages built over 14 years, became a scene of despair with numerous dead birds and uncollected eggs.
Doan had raised 80,000 laying hens and pullets, and nearly all were lost to the floods. He recounts checking the water levels on the evening of September 9, thinking he was safe as the water was two meters below the dyke. He intended to relocate his birds the following morning.
However, he was taken by surprise as the water surged rapidly, flooding his farm within hours. Despite quickly calling for assistance to move the fowl to higher ground, the water continued to rise, submerging the cages. With help, he managed to save only 10,000 fowl, while many were lost.
Previously, Doan earned about VND100 million daily from egg sales, but now he finds himself in dire financial straits, forced to sell the saved fowl for a mere VND50,000 each. The total losses from the dead birds amounted to around VND11 billion, alongside damage to other farm property and spoiled animal feed resulting from prolonged flooding.
In Tuy Lap commune of Yen Bai City, the aftermath was equally tragic, as dead pigs were found strewn across rice fields, roads, and riverbanks. Of a farm housing 5,000 pigs, only 50 were still alive, with the rest either swept away or found deceased in their enclosures.
Tran Thi Vinh, who heads the Hoa Binh Minh agriculture project in Tuy Lap, was overcome with emotion as she spoke about their losses, estimating that nearly 5,000 pigs perished in the floods, costing tens of billions of dong.
In areas like Van Giang of Hung Yen and Soc Son in Hanoi, farmers faced financial turmoil, quickly trying to sell off surviving pigs to mitigate their losses which reach into billions of dong.
With the Yagi typhoon now passed, widespread destruction of farming facilities and the mass death of livestock have left many agricultural households in northern provinces at risk of bankruptcy.
In Quang Ninh, Ngo Thi Thuy expressed her plight during a meeting with banking officials, stating that most of her fish farms were devastated by the floods, incurring losses of VND12 billion, while still owing VND4 billion to Agribank.
Vu Van Cuong from Tan An commune reported a staggering VND14 billion loss from three fish rafts, with neighbors experiencing even greater losses, totaling between VND20 to VND30 billion. With their livelihoods wiped out, local farmers are now unable to meet their bank obligations.
According to Le Hoang Tung, deputy CEO of Vietcombank, about 6,000 clients have suffered due to the typhoon, with outstanding loans totaling VND71 trillion. In the affected regions of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, 230 clients faced a combined debt of VND13.3 trillion.
In response, Vietcombank has reduced the lending interest rate by 0.5 percent for loans taken between September 6 and December 31, 2024, which is expected to benefit around 20,000 clients through both new and existing loans.
