Authorities of Tram Tau district, Yen Bai province visit the locals and advise them ways to keep warm (Photo: VNA)

Over the past few days, temperatures in Yen Bai province have dropped sharply. Since Friday, the province has been experiencing rain, temperatures below 7 DC in the mountains, and frost. The province’s agriculture sector has instructed local farmers to keep their 180,000 farm animals warm. They have been advised not to let their animals wander free, to vaccinate them, stockpile feed, and keep buffaloes and cows in low-land areas, and use plastic or water-ferns to keep waterfowls warm.

Dao Duy Duc, Head of the Sub-Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health of Yen Bai province, said: "The temperatures in the mountains are much lower than in the low-land areas. To brace for the cold weather, local people should pen their animals and not let them run free. They should cover the pens and prepare fire wood to keep warm."

In Chu Va 12 hamlet in Lai Chau province, temperatures have dropped to 5-7 DC making work more difficult. Giang A Su says there are 200 cows, buffaloes and horses in the hamlet. Local people have penned them, covered the pens and burned wood to keep them warm.

“We use canvas to cover the barns and cover the ground with dry straw and weeds to keep the buffaloes and cows warm. We go to the field to collect grass to feed the cows and buffaloes,” said Su.

People in Lao Cai province have stockpiled food since the early days of winter. Trang A Lu, Chairman of Y Ty commune’s People’s Committee, says: “The weather in Y Ty is extremely cold now. The communal authorities have asked local people to keep their animals in pens and prepare food and dry straw.”

The cold weather is forecast to continue in the coming days with ice and frost in the mountains. Localities are taking steps to protect crops, animals, and people’s health.