HCMC – An unseasonal prolonged downpour from early morning to noon on February 26 has dissolved hundreds of hectares of salt across the coastal areas of HCMC.
The abnormal weather phenomenon occurred just days before harvest, dealing a severe financial blow to local salt farmers who were anticipating high market prices.
The damage is widespread across HCMC’s salt-producing areas, including Long Dien, Long Son, and An Thoi Dong. In Long Dien alone, where nearly 300 hectares are under cultivation this season, most fields have been affected. For those using traditional earth-based methods, the impact is even more severe, as farmers must drain the rainwater, re-level the mud beds, and wait over a month for the next harvest.
The loss is particularly severe as salt prices at the start of the 2025-2026 season have reached a high of VND1,300 per kilogram. A farmer in Long Dien reported losing 100 tons of salt from his 10-hectare farm just four days before his second harvest.
According to meteorologist Nguyen Thi Xuan Lan, the unusual rainfall was caused by the northward shift of an equatorial trough, creating localized disturbances across the southern region. While unseasonal rains have occurred in previous years, this year’s event arrived earlier than expected. Experts warn that the rain could persist for another two days before the trough weakens.
According to statistics from the Rural Development Division at the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city has approximately 2,000 hectares under salt production for the 2025–2026 season, primarily in Long Dien, Long Son, Ba Ria, and An Thoi Dong. While salt farming is a traditional livelihood providing jobs for thousands of coastal workers, it remains heavily dependent on weather conditions
