Vietnam Mekong delta floods seen unlikely
CAN THO - Major flooding in
Vietnam's Mekong Delta rice bowl
was unlikely this year, but provinces
should be prepared as long-term
weather patterns remained
unpredictable, a senior meteorologist
said.
Bui Dat Tram, director of southern
An Giang province's
Hydrometeorological Forecast
Centre, said water levels across the
region had remained relatively stable,
but an 18-centimetre (seven inch)
rise had been recorded over the past
four days at Tan Chau on Vietnam's
border with Cambodia to take the
level to 2.17 metres (7.12 feet).
``It is difficult to predict the weather
conditions this year. La Nina has
weakened but it is still affecting
Vietnam,'' said Tram.
Record water levels for Tan Chau --
the point where one of the Mekong
River branches enters Vietnam --
were recorded in 1961 when the
figure reached 5.11 metres.
``Last year the water level reached
2.81 metres, the lowest in the last 73
years,'' Tram told Reuters, adding
that this year southern Vietnam's
rainy season had arrived in
mid-April, a few weeks earlier than
normal.
He said the Mekong Delta had
benefited from the La Nina weather
phenomenon which had brought
reasonable rainfall from April to
June. La Nina causes
colder-than-normal ocean
temperatures and increased rainfall.
``The results we got from
mathematical calculations show that
floodings this year at Tan Chau
should be lower than 4.11 metres,
but we cannot exclude the possibility
of high flooding,'' he told Reuters.
Tram added that flooding, while
causing losses and difficulties for
people in the area, had benefits.
``No flooding means the problem
with pests and rats, like last year,
could be serious,'' he said.
Vietnam is one of the world's biggest
rice exporters and the Mekong
Delta, which produces three crops a
year, accounts for the bulk of the
grain.
The communist-ruled country has
targeted shipments of 3.9 million
tonnes this year, from 3.8 million
tonnes in 1998.
Traders said that the current
summer-autumn crop is at least 80
percent harvested, but that persistent
recent rains had hampered drying of
the unhusked rice.
On the narrow, potholed roads
throughout the region unhusked rice
spread on tarpaulins creates traffic
bottlenecks, and rice quality suffers
as vehicle wheels crush the drying
grain.
The first spots of rain from frequent
showers and downpours sent
farmers running to cover the rice with
plastic sheets.
The canals and rivers which
criss-cross the delta buzzed, as
myriad motorised wooden barges
and small boats arrived to move the
dried grain.
Private dealers said warehouses
were filling nicely, but other traders
said a lack of heated drying facilities
combined with the rains had left high
moisture content in the rice.
``Only around 10 percent of the rice
is acceptable,'' said one trader. ``The
rest is just too damp.''
On the Hau River, one of the main
branches of the Mekong, around 10
ships bound for destinations
unknown were seen loading rice at
the ports of My Thoi, near Long
Xuyen, and Can Tho, including one
North Korean registered vessel.
An official from the Agriculture and
Rural Development Ministry told
Reuters earlier this month that total
rice plantations in the Mekong Delta
had been increased by 100,000
hectares (247,000 acres) to 1.6
million hectares during the
summer-autumn crop.
The winter-spring crop is the main
source for rice exports.
Reuters - July 28, 1999.
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