The Mekong Delta will strive to achieve an annual GDP growth of 11-12 percent by 2020 and improve local people's living standards during the integration process.

Of the total GDP, less than 40 percent will come from agriculture, nearly 30 percent from industry and more than 30 percent from services, according to the direction of the Southwestern Region Steering Committee.


The Mekong Delta will develop agriculture by promoting a diversity of products, intensive farming and shaping areas specialising in cultivating rice, fruit trees, and short-day industrial crops.


The focus in aquaculture will be developing the irrigation system and raising production along with protecting the environment.

Specifically, the region was directed to develop commerce, services and tourism, especially eco-tourism and river tourism.

Phu Quoc is planned to be an international tourism and trading centre, while Can Tho will be developed into an industrial, commercial and service centre as a driving force for the region’s development.


From now to 2015, the region will invest in training manpower, renewing machinery and equipment, and applying scientific progress into production.-VNA