JarJar Nixon's Blues Kitchen

Vietnam: Unseasonal rain spoils Tet hopes of Delta watermelon farmers

With only three weeks to Tet, meager harvests this year have put the
tradition of placing a pair of watermelons on the ancestors' altar in
peril.

In the Mekong Delta, the leading producer of watermelons in the country,
unseasonal rains have many farmers facing bankruptcy because very few
flowers have produced fruits because the rain has put paid to the
popular method of propagation - pollination by hand.

Nguyen Van Sau of Binh Tan District in Vinh Long Province said rain had
destroyed most of his 1,600 plants and he had to raise each of the
growing fruits to higher positions by putting everything possible
underneath.

"The flowers couldn't be pollinated because they were soaked with
rainwater," he said. "Some young fruits were also stunted."

Earlier, Sau had to delay planting several times due to heavy rains.

Many other farmers in Vinh Long Province also said unseasonal rain had
spoiled their efforts to pollinate the plants.

"There are only around 10 fruits for every 45 plants on my farm," said
Le Toan Dinh, from the province's Binh Tan District. "It will be a clear
loss this season."

Earlier, Dinh had invested VND20 million (US$1,140) to cultivate 7,000
watermelon plants of the Bao Long and Xuan Lan varieties.

Recent heavy rains have also hurt farmers in Can Tho City.

"The rain has spoiled pollination and local farmers have lost up to 40
percent of their watermelon area," said Tran Thi Nga, an agricultural
official of Thoi Hung Commune in the city's Co Do District.

Farmer Nguyen Van Lem said most of the young fruits had fallen off the
plants after just one rainfall.

He said investment for the farm had increased to more than VND100
million
($5,700) for an area of more than one hectare of watermelons due to
recovery works.

In Ca Mau Province, unseasonal rains have also caused the loss of 50
percent of the watermelon area in Ly Van Lam Commune of Ca Mau Town,
according to deputy chairman Ho Van Tan of the commune's People's
Committee.

Source: thanhniennews.com
Publication date: 1/7/2009