Hanoi supports farmers affected by Typhoon Yagi

Hanoi this week launched two supporting packages for locals affected by Typhoon Yagi, benefiting numerous farmers and cooperative activities.

In some areas where the water has receded, the rice has started to sprout. Hundreds of hectares in Soc Son District have turned into dead fields once Super Typhoon Yagi hit Hanoi.

Nguyen The Long, a farmer in An Lac Village, Soc Son District told The Hanoi Times that his family’s 3,600 square meters of rice, which were just beginning to flower, are now flattened and dead after days of flooding.  

In the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yagi, many rice fields and crops in Soc Son District were devastated. Photo: Thach Thao

"The flood was so high that nothing could be saved. Not only the rice fields, but all my possessions including television, refrigerator, washing machine and two electric bicycles were damaged by the water," Long said.

"My family managed to save some poultry by moving them inside the house, but nearly a ton of fish and plants outside were lost," he added.

Thousands of agricultural households in Ba Vi District also suffered significant damages from Typhoon Yagi. Nguyen Thi Nghia in Dong Thai Commune said that her more than one hectare of rice has been submerged for half a month and about 70% was damaged.

Nghia said that the Hanoi government has supported farmers who suffered losses in rice, crops, and livestock due to the storm. "The authorities continues the policy of supporting 50% of the cost of rice seeds to alleviate the burden on farmers." 

Nguyen Hong Anh, Director of Tay Dang Cooperative in Ba Vi, talked to The Hanoi Times that although the cooperative received support for 50% of disease-resistant rice varieties, the prolonged submersion of the fields led to significant crop damage. 

Farmers in Ba Vi District are wading through submerged rice fields to salvage crops after Typhoon Yagi. Photo: Quang Phong

Regarding the aftermath management, Le Hong Son, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, said that the city has directed relevant units to assess the extent of agricultural damage and proactively allocate funds to support affected residents.

"The city has implemented a number of policies to support damage recovery and production restoration with a total budget of VND2.35 billion (US$95,328) in the 2024-2025 period," Son said.

He noted that Hanoi has also requested units to propose specific support plans to address the consequences of the storm, restore production, compensate for crop and livestock damages, help farmers minimize losses caused by Typhoon Yagi, and stabilize post-storm life quickly.

Over two weeks have passed since Typhoon Yagi struck, but Hanoi’s farmers are still grappling as their rice fields stay submerged. Districts such as Chuong My, Soc Son, and Ba Vi have been among the most severely damaged in terms of rice and crops. Chuong My alone reported 3,616 hectares of flooded or flattened rice fields, Soc Son nearly 8,000 hectares, and Ba Vi close to 1,800 hectares.

Over 57,300 hectares of rice and other crops have been affected by Super Typhoon Yagi, around 3,300 livestock and nearly 463,000 poultries died; some 40 dike incidents and over 150 irrigation incidents occurred.

The post-storm flood also destroyed fruit trees in many orchards in Soc Son District. Photo: Thach Thao

Thanks to the city’s effort, the dike and irrigation system is basically stable. Over 66,000 people have returned home after being evacuated. Howerver, there remain about 12,000 people living in the flooded districts of Chuong My and My Duc. 

Many houses in My Duc District are underwater. Photo: VNA

Fruit orchards in My Duc District have begun to rot. Photo: VNA