The Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on July 7 said that outbreak of diseases in six provinces and cities across the country have been mainly in shrimp farms with brackish water.
The affected areas are the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ninh Thuan; the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Ca Mau; and Ho Chi Minh City. Of these, Ca Mau suffers the worst.
About 1,843 hectares have been damaged due to white spot disease and 2,797 hectares have been damaged due to Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome.
The Animal Health Department has proposed to localities to speed up measures to cope with diseases and their spreading. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide farmers with 95 tons of chlorine to disinfect shrimp farms.
According to departments of agriculture and rural development in Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh Provinces in the Mekong Delta, Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome and white spot disease have ravaged more than 22,000 hectares of shrimp farms in the first six months of the year. Long-lasting hot weather and unseasonal rain have also proved conducive to spread of disease.
