Agricultural production last month mostly focused on cultivating and tending summer crops and harvesting rice and summer-autumn crops. Poultry farming developed well. African swine fever was almost controlled, people started using pork again. Fishery maintained its growth trend in both the aquaculture and the fishing industry. However, agriculture was facing difficulties as the sale prices of most of the agricultural products remained lower than the prices from last year. The heat caused forest fire, rapidly increasing the area of damaged forest in the Central Coast region.
As of 15th August, the total cultivated wet rice of the country was 1,473.9 thousand hectares, equaling 95.6% of the figure from last year, of which the Northern provinces reached 1,067.1 thousand hectares, equaling 96.4%; Southern provinces reached 406.8 thousand hectares, equaling 93.3%.
The summer-autumn rice crop this year the country cultivated 2,011.3 thousand hectares, down 40.8 thousand hectares compared to the previous summer-autumn crop, mainly due to crop restructuring and crop transition. By the middle of August, the country harvested 1,036.4 thousand hectares of summer-autumn rice, accounting for 51.5% of the seeding area and equal to 104.7% of the same period last year, of which mainly concentrated in the Mekong Delta with 983.3 thousand ha, accounting for 62.6% and equaling 105.5%. According to local reports, this year's summer-autumn rice yield was estimated at 54.4 quintals / ha, down 0.3 quintals / ha compared to the previous summer-autumn crop due to the effects of climate change and high temperatures, the hot weather leading to the decreased growth time of rice crops and the early flowering of rice , especially the influence of rain and storms during harvest time in the Mekong Delta region, causing some rice areas to be damaged. The cultivated area and productivity both decreased, so the total output of the summer-autumn crop in 2019 was estimated at nearly 11 million tons, down 280.2 thousand tons compared to the summer-autumn crop in 2018.
As of mid-August, the Mekong Delta sowed 382.8 thousand hectares of autumn-winter rice crop, equaling 95.5% of the same period last year due to the impact of early rainy season weather. Some localities had decreased cultivated areas compared to the same period last year: Dong Thap decreased 10.9 thousand hectares; Can Tho decreased by 9.8 thousand hectares; Hau Giang decreased 6.6 thousand hectares. Currently, autumn-winter rice is growing and developing quite well. As of August 15, localities across the country planted 863.3 thousand hectares of maize, equaling 96.9% of the same period last year; 100.3 thousand hectares of sweet potatoes, equaling 98.2%; 159.6 thousand hectares of groundnut, equaling 95.3%; 39.9 thousand hectares of soybeans, equaling 95.9%; 897.7 thousand hectares of vegetables and beans, equaling 101.4%.
Cattle breeding was generally stable. As of August, the country's buffalo population was estimated to decrease by 3.1% compared to the same period last year; cowherds increased 2.4%; pigs decreased by 18.5%; poultry increased by 10%.
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In August, the concentrated forestation area was estimated at 25 thousand hectares, down 7.4% over the same period last year, the number of dispersed planted trees reached 7.1 million, down 1.9%; exploited wood production reached 1,434 thousand m3, an increase of 4.6%; firewood production reached 1.5 million ste, down 3.9%. Some localities had a high increase in timber production: Quang Ngai reached 141.4 thousand m3, an increase of 24% over the same period in 2018; Quang Nam reached 110 thousand m3, an increase of 10%; Nghe An reaches 108.3 thousand m3, an increase of 22.9%; Quang Tri reached 84.1 thousand m3, up 10.7%.
Generally for 8 months, the concentrated forestation area was estimated at 148.8 thousand ha, down 5.6% over the same period last year; the number of dispersed planted trees reached 47.9 million, down 2.9%; exploited wood production reached 9,934 thousand m3, an increase of 4.3%; firewood production reached 12.2 million ste, down 1.9%.
In August 2019, the damaged forest area was 480.7 ha, 6.9 times higher than the same period last year, of which mainly due to forest fires with 435.1 ha, 24.1 times; cleared forest area is 45.6 ha, down 12.4%. Some localities had an increase in burnt forest area: Phu Yen 178.2 ha, 13 times higher than the same period last year; Quang Ngai 93.3 ha; Binh Dinh 86.6 ha.
Generally, for 8 months, the damaged forest area was 2,281.5 ha, 2.7 times higher than the same period last year, of which the burnt forest area was 1,890.3 ha, 4.6 times; deforestation area is 391.2 ha, down 7.2%.
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In August, the country's seafood production was estimated at 712.6 thousand tons, up 4.8% over the same period last year, including fish reached 502.3 thousand tons, up 5.1%; shrimp reached 103.2 thousand tons, up 6.1%; other aquatic products reached 107.1 thousand tons, up 2.4%.
Production of aquaculture in August was estimated at 411.3 thousand tons, up 5.5% over the same period last year, of which fish gained 276.8 thousand tons, up 5.6%; shrimp reached 91.2 thousand tons, up 6.5%.
Pangasius farming continued to be quite good, Pangasius production in August was estimated at 128.6 thousand tons, up 6.8% over the same period last year.
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The production of white-leg shrimp was estimated at 56.5 thousand tons, up 10.1% over the same period last year.
Estimated fishing production in August 2019 reached 301.3 thousand tons, up 4% over the same period last year, including fish reached 225.5 thousand tons, up 4.5%; shrimp reached 12 thousand tons, up 2.6%; other aquatic products reached 63.8 thousand tons, up 2.4%. Sea fishing activities in the early days of August were affected by the storm No. 3 and tropical depression, estimated sea fishing production reached 281.1 thousand tons, up 3.9% over the same period last year.
Generally for 8 months of 2019, fishery production was estimated at 5,228.6 thousand tons, up 5.4% over the same period last year, of which aquaculture production reached 2,727.5 thousand tons, up 6%. ; fishing production reached 2,501.1 thousand tons, an increase of 4.8% (sea fishing production reached 2,380.7 thousand tons, an increase of 4.9%).
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