Cold spell kills cattle, impoverishes locals

Some 2,000 heads of cattle have died in two northern provinces as unexpectedly frigid weather has taken a toll on their food supply and ill-prepared bodies.

Experts have linked the deaths to two effects of the weather: One, the destruction of crops such as grass and hay needed to feed the cattle, and two, the swelling of cows' lungs and the excess production of bile due to the cold.

Over 1,000 of the cows and oxen died in the central-northern province of Quang Binh, in districts such as Minh Hoa and Tuyen Hoa.

Some communes have been decimated.

Tan Hoa has experienced an over 15 percent death rate as 300 of the commune's 1,700 heads of cattle have died.

Such devastation has plunged several farmers into poverty.

Breeder Thai Thi Hong, 38, spoke with tears in his eyes on Sunday: "All my families' money and a loan from the bank were used to buy 15 cattle, which we had hoped to sell just after Tet (Lunar New Year)."

Eight of Hong's cattle died while seven others are not much more than skin and bones and weak legs.

He fears they may die at any time.

Brothers Truong Xuan Luan and Truong Xuan Dong saw their hopes of a prosperous new year vanish as their 12 newly purchased cows died over the last two months.