‘Rice bowl’ responsibility robs Mekong Delta of growth opportunities: report

With an annual rice output of 24 million tons a year, or half of Vietnam’s total, the Mekong Delta has been given the responsibility of ensuring food security for the country over several decades, which is both a “destiny” and a “tragedy,” according to a recent report by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management.

The mission locked the region in low-added-value agriculture activities with poor infrastructure and lack of resources, chasing away investors and workers due to low living standards and scarcity of job opportunities.

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Vien Thong