Extreme heat puts farmers at risk of crop failure

In the early days of summer, residents of Ha Tinh are struggling under an unprecedented heatwave. Outdoor temperatures have at times reached up to 42°C, combined with early-arriving hot, dry Lao winds, making the air stifling and leaving the land parched and cracked. This extreme heat is not only affecting daily life but also causing severe damage to agricultural production.

Field reports from mountainous communes such as Phuc Trach, Huong Pho, Son Kim 1, and Son Kim II show that once-lush fields have become withered and desolate. Maize, the main crop for livestock farmers, is currently at a critical growth stage but is being scorched by the heat, with leaves burned and stalks shriveling. Many areas have even seen entire crops die off, beyond recovery. Farmers can only watch helplessly as their hard work is destroyed.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, a resident of Huong Pho Commune, has more than 3 sao of maize nearing harvest, now damaged by prolonged heat, with leaves scorched and stems wilted. According to him, maize is typically drought-tolerant, but this year’s heat arrived too early, severely hindering growth. “If there’s no rain in the next week, this area will definitely suffer yield losses of around 50-70%,” Mr. Hoa said with concern.

Sharing the same situation, Ms. Dung, a resident of the same commune, has 4 sao of hybrid maize grown for livestock feed now at risk of crop failure due to drought. Each year, her family rotates crops such as maize, peanuts, and beans on this land. In a good year, maize yields reach over one ton, enough to support raising buffaloes, cattle, and pigs. However, this year, despite efforts to irrigate sparingly, the weather has been too extreme, with persistent hot winds preventing the crops from recovering.

“Never before has the early-season heat been this intense - the crops simply can’t withstand it,” Ms. Dung said, standing sorrowfully in her maize field, dried out from root to tip.

Not only maize, but many agarwood (Aquilaria) plantations in Phuc Trach Commune are also showing signs of leaf wilting, stunted growth, and even the risk of drying out and dying. To save the trees, farmers have to wake up as early as 4 a.m. to water them and reduce evaporation. However, with temperatures rising sharply from early morning, irrigation water is “like a drop in the ocean.”

Leaders of the Phuc Trach Commune People’s Committee said this heatwave is among the most severe in recent years. In addition to extremely high temperatures, at times reaching 41-42°C, the intense heat has persisted for nearly two weeks, worsening water stress in crops.

The local authorities have advised residents to make full use of available water sources, adjust cropping calendars to suit weather conditions, and apply drought mitigation measures such as mulching and shading. However, these solutions are only temporary; if the heatwave continues, widespread damage will be difficult to avoid.