Cold and drizzle in the North: Some are happy, others are worried

According to updated data from the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and statistics from several localities, as of January 27, frost and severe cold in the North had frozen nearly 300 livestock to death.

Localities with frozen livestock include: Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Bac Kan , Lang Son, Nghe An. The number of frozen livestock is still increasing due to widespread severe cold, bad weather, or because localities have not yet fully counted.

People in Bac Kan province increase fresh food to protect buffalo herds from the cold. Photo: Contributor

The severe cold weather for many days is causing many vegetables in the North to not grow; some vegetables such as lettuce, kohlrabi, and Chinese cabbage are wilting, withering (like worms), and rotting at the roots. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, a farmer in Tien Le vegetable farm, Hoai Duc district ( Hanoi ), said that the cold rain has made it difficult to take care of vegetable fields along the Day River, and the amount of vegetables harvested has decreased.

Frozen green vegetables in Dong Van district ( Ha Giang ). Photo: Contributor

Ms. Luong Thi Hang is planting 3,000m2 ^.Cauliflower in Son Duong district (Tuyen Quang) shared with SGGP reporter that after the severe cold, there was drizzle, increased humidity, showers or frost... (due to the denatured cold air) causing vegetables to spoil en masse. "Even some winter vegetables like cauliflower, just one week of rain and humidity will make them all rot, not in time to harvest", Ms. Hang worried.

Information from Son La province also said that the severe cold has affected 4.7 hectares of fruit trees in Van Ho and Thuan Chau districts (not including livestock damage). This data may not have been fully collected yet.

Plum blossoms in Son La city, Son La province are in full bloom. Photo: LO THI VIET

In Hai Duong province (a large vegetable supply hub for Hanoi and export), the current selling price of cabbage is around 2,500-3,500 VND/kg, double the price before the cold spell; the price of kohlrabi is 2,500-3,000 VND/root, also up 1.5-2 times. The prices of tomatoes, cucumbers and some other vegetables have also increased. According to the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection of Hai Duong province, this locality currently has nearly 6,000 hectares of winter vegetables waiting to be harvested.

At Hanoi's traditional markets, vegetable prices have increased due to the cold weather, and farmers have not been able to harvest much. Photo: VAN PHUC

Surveys at markets in Hanoi from January 23rd to now show that vegetable prices have increased due to reduced supply. Of which, cabbage increased by 3,000 VND/kg, water spinach increased by 7,000 VND/bunch, cucumber increased by 7,000 VND/kg, and other vegetables such as chrysanthemum greens, sweet cabbage, etc. have all increased. Similarly, green onions increased from 32,000 VND/kg to 60,000 VND/kg, potatoes from 13,000 VND/kg to 17,000 VND/kg, etc.

While livestock in the highlands froze to death due to the cold that lasted for many days, and vegetables also had reduced productivity and difficulty growing... over the past week, farmers and owners of peach blossom, plum blossom, lily, dahlia, gladiolus, rose gardens... in the lowlands such as Hanoi, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh... were happy because the daily temperature was continuously at 8-10 degrees Celsius (the highest was only 11-13 degrees Celsius) which helped "resist" the flowers from blooming early (especially the peach blossoms that had their branches cut off and roots uprooted to be sold at spring flower markets).

Plum blossom gardens are blooming in Son La city, Son La province. Clip: LO THI VIET

Traders at the spring flower market in Ninh Binh City (Ninh Binh Province) and at the spring flower market in Van Phuc (Hanoi) also shared that the current weather is ideal for peach blossoms and other Tet flowers in the North.

VAN PHUC

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