Hanoi (VNA) – The Mekong Delta region had completedharvesting the year’s first rice crop (winter-spring crop) by the end of April,recording a slight year-on-year fall of 2.4 percent in productivity to 6.27tonnes.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, the strongest falls were seen in Dong Thap province at16.5percent, Can Tho city 8.3 percent, Tien Giang 7.1 percent, and Vinh Long 7.6percent.
As of mid-April, around 676,500 hectares of thesecond rice crop (summer-autumn crop) in the south have been sowed, making upof 95 percent of the same period last year. Of which, the Mekong Delta regionaccounted for 660,700 hectares, equal to 97 percent year-on-year.
This year’s second crop is forecast to face manydifficulties due to prolonged drought and unpredictable weather patterns.Localities are required to closely manage the sowing schedules. The sowingperiod can last longer than the previous years.
Meanwhile, the northern provinces have basicallycompleted sowing for the summer-autumn crop on over 1.14 million hectares,nearly half of which was in the Red River Delta.-VNA
