Golden apple snails abound, Nghe An farmers stay in the fields to save rice

Golden apple snails are becoming a problem in the fields of Nghe An . Photo: TP

In recent days, in the communes of Kim Lien, Nam Giang, Xuan Hoa (Nam Dan); Dien Phu (Dien Chau); Bach Ngoc (Do Luong)... everywhere, people have been seen going to the fields early in the morning or late at night, carrying buckets, basins, and flashlights to catch golden apple snails.

“The snails are unprecedented. If we are just a few days late, the seedlings will be bitten and destroyed, and the rice will be stripped of its roots before it can take root,” Mr. Phan Trung Tin (Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan) worried. He planted 3 sao of rice, but more than half of the area had to be re-sown because the snails had destroyed it.

screw 2 — People have to stick to the fields, catch snails regularly, and prevent snails from causing damage. Photo: TP

In Dien Phu commune (Dien Chau), Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy said: “A few days after planting, I saw that the rice had missing clumps and the young stems were bitten across. I tried everything to lure them, shake their hands, spread taro leaves… but it didn’t work. I had to replant a second and third time.”

Golden apple snails are active in the early morning, late evening and at night, so many families have to catch them all night. In many localities, the scene of people using flashlights and wearing conical hats to go to the fields at midnight has become familiar. Not only a few households, but also whole neighborhoods and villages go to the fields to catch snails. "We go out every night. If we wait until morning, the fields will be completely eaten. There were nights when I went out to the fields at 2am and caught them until almost 5am but only got more than 30kg," said Nguyen Van Phuc (Xuan Hoa commune, Nam Dan).

Many localities have launched a campaign to eradicate golden apple snails. Farmers stay in their fields day and night to destroy the snails. Photo: TP

In Ngoc Son commune (Do Luong), many elderly women do not mind the hardship, carrying headlamps and plastic buckets, going to each field to wade through the mud to find snails. Ms. Duong Van said: “My mother and I went to the field at 4am, catching nearly 50kg of snails in 4 hours. If we leave them for too long, we will lose everything. Whatever we catch, we bring home to feed the ducks, the rest we collect and dispose of by smashing, sprinkling lime, and burying.”

According to experts, golden apple snails thrive thanks to favorable weather conditions: alternating rain and sunshine, temperatures ranging from 28 - 35°C. Many fields after the spring crop have not dried up, creating an ideal environment for snails to multiply rapidly. In some low-lying areas, snail density reaches 10 - 20 snails/m², seriously threatening young rice crops.

Snails grow so fast that we can't catch them all. Photo: TP

Faced with this situation, many localities have launched a campaign to eradicate snails, encouraging people to use manual, environmentally friendly methods: catching adult snails, collecting snail eggs, luring them with taro leaves and banana stems; combining with draining water and drying the soil. These traditional methods are proving effective in key rice-growing areas.

Notably, to support farmers and encourage effective snail extermination, many places have also organized golden apple snail purchasing points. For example, in Dien Truong commune (Dien Chau), Ms. Ho Lich's purchasing facility recorded receiving 10 - 20 tons of snails every day, supplying to the production center of aquatic feed.

bna_can(1).jpg — Many golden apple snail purchasing facilities purchase tons per day. Photo: TP

“The price of snails has increased to 3,000 - 3,200 VND/kg, and at times dropped sharply to 2,000 VND/kg, but people are still actively catching and collecting them because the main purpose is to save the rice fields,” said Ms. Lich.

However, along with the snail catching movement, there are still places that abuse chemicals to treat snails with high doses, not according to recommendations. Agricultural engineer Chu Van Quan warned: “Using chemicals improperly not only pollutes water sources, but also affects aquatic organisms in the fields such as crabs, fish, and shrimp. Killing snails like that is more harmful than beneficial.

Farmers should only use drugs when absolutely necessary, with safe active ingredients such as Metaldehyde, Niclosamide...; comply with dosage, timing and environmental conditions. It is best to synchronously combine biological measures, manual methods, farming techniques and reasonable water management to control snails sustainably, without affecting the environment.

In the context of complicated weather conditions, golden apple snails continue to spread. Proactively checking fields, maintaining snail catching movements, and raising community awareness are key solutions to help protect summer-autumn crops and maintain ecological balance.