DFNet

December 08, 2025 | VnExpress |

Severe flooding in central Lam Dong province devastated off-season dragon fruit orchards after heavy rains and reservoir discharges caused water levels to rise rapidly. Farmer Gia Quyen and 20 neighbors improvised a risky rescue operation, using inflated truck inner tubes to float harvest baskets through submerged orchards where boats could not pass due to concrete trellises. Working for hours in cold, fast-moving water with zero visibility, they harvested fruit by touch and managed to save about 80% of Quyen’s high-cost, artificially lit off-season crop before conditions became too dangerous.

Nearby farmers were less fortunate. Duong Hung Phong lost his entire 5,000-square-meter orchard when floodwaters struck before his fruit matured, leaving him unable to harvest. He faces losses of about VND80 million and potential long-term damage to dragon fruit roots, which could take years to recover.

Authorities said the flooding was caused by unusual weather linked to a tropical depression, combined with upstream dam discharges. While waters are receding, the floods have caused widespread damage across the region, submerging thousands of homes and hectares of farmland and highlighting the growing risks faced by farmers during extreme weather events.

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