Measures for helping delta farmers break the stranglehold of rice paddy
Prof. Vo Tong Xuan, honorary rector of Nam Can Tho University, argued that the designation of GDP from top down using ton of rice as the unit has forced many farmers in the Mekong Delta to only cultivate rice paddy rather than planting other crops or raising livestock. The farmers have therefore not been able to escape the iron grip of rice paddy cultivation.
To this effect, according to Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh, it is necessary to change the mechanisms used to assess localities and local leaders in terms of GDP growth rate, revenue collection and spending, import-export and other criteria so as to minimize the mindset that focuses only on a single locality instead of the entire region.
