HCMC – Typhoon Yagi and ensuing floods have inflicted an estimated VND4 trillion in damage on Vietnam’s farm produce sector, said Hoang Trung, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
He was speaking at a conference held by the ministry on September 18, focused on supporting the recovery of northern provinces hit by the storm.
Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, deputy director of the Department of Crop Production, detailed the extent of the damage, reporting that 312,000 hectares of crops were impacted. This includes 200,000 hectares of rice, 51,000 hectares of vegetables—of which 36,000 hectares were corn—and 61,000 hectares of fruit and perennial crops.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment estimates that the storm could reduce the country’s annual GDP growth by 15 basis points, with the agricultural sector projected to decline by 33 basis points. These losses are expected to heavily impact farmers in the region.
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued technical guidelines for crop restoration and initiated emergency drainage measures. The ministry is also urging businesses to help by providing seeds and other resources to aid recovery efforts.
Currently, Vietnam’s national reserves hold about 4,100 tons of rice seed though the demand is 15,000 tons. There is also a significant shortage of vegetable and corn seeds, with reserves falling far short of the required quantities.
While 112.5 tons of vegetable seeds are needed, reserves stand at just 0.25 tons. Corn seed demand is estimated at 1,080 tons, but reserves only hold 275.4 tons.
