In the North, the productivity of early winter-spring rice was estimated at 6300 kilograms (kg) per ha, an increase of 70 kg per ha compared to the previous winter-spring crop; estimated production reached 7.1 million tons, a decrease of 24 thousand tons. In the South, as of mid-May, localities harvested 1928.6 thousand ha of winter-spring rice, accounting for 97.7% of the sown area and equaling 101.4% of the area in the similar period last year. According to the preliminary report, the Southern provinces’ productivity of winter-spring rice was estimated at 6750 kg per ha, a rise of 520 kg per ha compared to the previous winter-spring crop. Along with the harvest of winter-spring rice, provinces in the South sowed 1047.9 thousand ha of summer-autumn rice, equaling 92.8% of the sown area in the same period in 2017.
Cultivation of farm-produced crops reached low level. As of mid-May, the country cultivated 476 thousand ha of maize, equaling 85.4% of the area in the same period last year; 73.3 thousand ha of sweet potato, equaling 93.3%; 136.1 thousand ha of peanut, equaling 95.7%; 32 thousand ha of soya, equaling 78.8%; 630 thousand ha of vegetables and beans, equaling 103.2%.
The country’s flock of buffaloes in the month was estimated to reduce by 0.4% against the same period last year; flock of oxen increased 3%; flock of poultry climbed by 6.9%; flock of pigs dropped by 5.4%.
Generally, in the first five months of the year, the concentrated planted forest area was estimated to reach 75.8 thousand ha, an increase of 0.9% compared to the same period last year; the number of separate planted trees gained 29 million trees, a decline of 0.3%; wood production achieved 4197 thousand m3, a rise of 9%; firewood production gained 10.8 million steres, 2.3% decrease.
Generally, in the first five months of the year, damaged forest area was 386 ha, down 34.7% against the same period last year, of which burnt forest area was 115.9 ha, down 44.6%; destroyed forest area was 270.1 ha, down 29.3%.
Generally, in five beginning months of the year, fishing production was estimated to reach 2806.9 thousand tons, up 5.3% over the same period last year, of which production of aquaculture gained 1395.4 thousand tons, up 6.1%; production of fishery caught achieved 1411.5 thousand tons, up 4.4% (production of sea catching reached 1345.8 thousand tons, up 4.6%).
Source: General Statistics office