Vietnam's Persistent Heavy Rain Devastates Agriculture: Northern Region Flooded, Durian Trees Die Off en Masse in Central Highlands

(Comprehensive report by Nongxun Net) In recent days, persistent heavy rain in Vietnam has battered agricultural production from north to south: in the northern region, torrential rain has triggered floods and landslides, causing at least 3 deaths, flooding more than 16,000 houses, and damaging more than 22,000 hectares of crops; while in the Central Highlands, durian orchards in many parts of Gia Lai Province have suffered severe diseases caused by persistent waterlogging, with durian trees dying off en masse, and thousands of hectares of orchards are now affected.

Heavy Rain Causes Disaster in the North: 16,000 Houses Flooded, Part of North-South Railway Suspended

According to a statement published on the Vietnamese government's official website on September 17, the northern region has been hit by persistent heavy rain since September 14, with rainfall in some areas reaching as high as 653 mm. The torrential rain triggered floods and landslides, with multiple national highways and provincial roads affected by 11 landslides and 30 flooded sites, severely disrupting traffic.

In parts of the capital, Hanoi, floodwater reached one meter deep, downtown traffic was once paralyzed, and some schools switched to online classes or temporarily closed. Part of the railway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City was submerged by floodwater about one meter deep, and multiple trains on the North-South railway suspended service on September 17 and 18.

Vietnam's meteorological agency forecasts that heavy rain will continue through the weekend from Thanh Hoa Province to Hue City, with rainfall in some areas possibly exceeding 100 mm. According to Vietnamese statistics, so far this year Vietnam has recorded 63 deaths or missing persons due to natural disasters, with economic losses of about 22 trillion Vietnamese dong, but this is down 84.9% from the same period last year.

Gia Lai Province Durian Emergency: Persistent Rain Triggers Disease, Thousands of Hectares of Orchards Affected

Vietnam's Central Highlands is currently in durian season, but Gia Lai Province in this region has seen large-scale durian tree die-offs in many places. Gia Lai Province has a total durian planting area of 8,932 hectares and an annual output of 50,054 tons. According to preliminary estimates, the area of durian orchards with large-scale die-offs in Hoang Yen village and Bat village of Chu Prong city has exceeded 10 hectares, while thousands of hectares of durian orchards around the entire Chu Prong city area are now affected, and relevant departments are still counting the number of damaged trees.

According to reports, the phenomenon of durian trees becoming diseased and dying off en masse appeared after persistent rainfall. Heavy rain over the past few months caused waterlogging in many low-lying orchards, and many durian orchards developed problems such as resin oozing from trunks and root rot, ultimately leading to tree decline and death.

A fruit grower in Hoang Yen village said that about 500 of his durian trees in the fruiting stage recently showed concentrated symptoms of resin oozing, blackened bark, leaf drop, and withered branches. At present, about 400 trees have become diseased, many of which have completely died, with preliminary losses exceeding 500 million Vietnamese dong. The grower noticed signs of disease a year ago and bought medicine to treat them himself and cut down severely diseased trees, but after this year's persistent rain the disease broke out in concentrated fashion. The durian fruit produced by trees that have not yet died has watery, hard flesh and unreliable quality, so the entire durian orchard can only be cut down.

A preliminary assessment by the local agricultural department believes that the durian tree deaths may be related to fungal disease, with symptoms similar to disease in pepper trees, and the specific cause still requires investigation by professional institutions. Many affected durian orchards are located in flat areas with poor drainage. Persistent rainfall has greatly increased soil moisture, and water has accumulated around the root systems, weakening tree vigor and creating conditions for pathogens to breed.

It is worth noting that Thailand has also recently suffered flooding caused by heavy rain, and durian orchards in many parts of eastern Thailand have also been affected by waterlogging, with fruit trees facing the threat of disease. The associated risks triggered by persistent rainfall in Southeast Asia's durian-producing areas deserve attention.

Market Outlook: El Nino May Cause Sharp Drop in Rainfall in Central and Southern Vietnam

Beyond the floods and waterlogging disasters, another concern is lurking on the meteorological side. The El Nino phenomenon is expected to cause rainfall in central and southern Vietnam to decrease by 10% to 50% later this year, potentially affecting about 350,000 hectares of rice-growing areas in the Mekong Delta; and the Central Highlands, as Vietnam's main coffee-producing region, may also face severe water shortages. With the rapid shift from drought to flood, Vietnamese agriculture still faces severe weather challenges in the second half of the year, and the supply and price trends of related agricultural products deserve continued attention.