Cold spell kills thousands of cattle in the north

The temperatures in Ta Xua Commune are always close to zero and the commune is covered in thick fog. Vang Thi Rua in Toa Tinh Commune is also struggling to protect her cattle and poultry from the cold. They had to go out into the rain to gather fodder for the buffalo. They also try to keep the calf warm with boiled water but it is still losing its appetite. "I've just called the vet to check on it. Losing a buffalo for farmers is like losing a real family member," she said. Another farmer said it was too cold for neighbours to come out and eat the dead buffalo meat and they can only sell the dead buffaloes for a little money. Meanwhile, Tran Van Son in Chieng Xom Commune is trying to protect his three-hectare rose garden. "The authorities will give support money to farmers with dead buffaloes but it's more difficult for us. This year, the flowers still haven't bloomed at all for the Tet holiday. We'll face huge losses," he said. Statistics from the Northwest Region Commanding Committee of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue show that nearly 3,000 cattle died as of February 5. About 630 cattle died in Son La Province alone, causing over VND7bn (USD308,500) in damage. Most of them are raised in disadvantaged districts such as Song Ma, Sop Cop and Thuan Chau. The local authorities are sending more officials to help farmers protect their crops and cattle as the cold spell continues./.