The Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute has estimated thatsummer-autumn crops of the region would generate 9 million tonnes ofrice this year, up 120,000 tonnes from the same period last year,despite the reduction in cultivated area.

TheMekong Delta has harvested more than 300,000 hectares of rice to date,representing 18 percent of its rice growing areas.

Average yield of the entire region is estimated around 5.45 tonnesper hectare while that of Can Tho, An Giang and Dong Thap provincesreaches 6.3-6.5 tonnes per hectare.

Thewholesale price for paddy rice is around 5,000-5,400 VND (0.23-0.25 USD)per kilogramme. Farmers earn a profit of 27-38 percent of the price aseach kilogramme produced costs them about 3,917 VND (0.18 USD).

Mekong Delta provinces have followed a strict schedule of rice farming to avoid drought, flooding and diseases.

Several new cultivation techniques have been spread among localfarmers, notably “3 Down, 3 Up” (3 Down: seeds, fertilizers andpesticides; 3 Up: productivity, quality and economic efficiency), and “1Must, 5 Down” (1 Must: must use of certified rice seeds; 5 Down:decreases in the amount of sowed seeds, in the use of crop protectionchemicals, nitrogenous fertilizer and water, and in post-harvestlosses).

The provinces focused on growinghigh-quality rice with more than 85 percent of paddy areas whiledisease control and irrigation works were well-prepared.

The farmers were also provided soft loans to purchase agricultural equipment for improved cultivation.-VNA