The total summer-autumn rice output in the Mekong Delta, the country’s largest rice producer, is estimated to reach 9.5 million tonnes, up nearly 200,000 tonnes higher than the same crop last year.

So far, the region has finished harvesting 740,000 hectares or 43.5 percent of its total rice area.

According to the Vietnam Food Association, with the current rice price of between 5,300 and 7,100 VND (25-33 US cents), farmers will enjoy a 26 percent benefit.

The Mekong Delta region comprises of 12 provinces and one centrally-run city with a total area of 40,000 square kilometres and a combined population of 18 million.-VNA