Authorities of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho are making every effort for a rice production of 1.45 million tonnes this year, up 8 percent against the volume made a year earlier.

To reach the goal, they are striving for an output of 317,000 tonnes in the upcoming spring-winter crop.

According to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the locality has planted over 61,800 ha in the crop, up 11,000 ha compared to the same period last year. The acreage mainly concentrates in the districts of Vinh Thanh, Co Do, and Thoi Lai with a total area of 40,000 ha, accounting for 65 percent of the rice area of the locality.

Pham Van Quynh, director of the department said in these districts, 132 field embankments were reinforced and 56 km of internal ditches were dredged to prevent flooding that could adversely affect rice production.

Water drainage systems in several districts were also reinforced for the purpose, he added.

In addition, the municipal Department of Plant Protection has supplied bio-pesticides to local farmers and directed them to use to protect the environment and their paddies as well.

Can Tho considers rice production a key foreign currency earner ensuring a steady income for its farmers.

The city has set to sell 1 million tonnes of rice abroad in 2014, up nearly 100,000 tonnes from last year, for earnings of over 516 million USD.

In 2013, it raked in nearly 500 million USD from rice export, accounting for 30 percent of the city’s total export value of 1.5 billion USD.-VNA