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As a crop rice has always been important in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh’s first promise after declaring independence from France was to fix the rice crisis. The people at this time did not have enough to eat as a result of the failure of the rice crops. Later in his rule he turned the rice paddies into collectives for the benefit of the state. Most farms still are today but the holdings are too small (around an acre) to be effectively farmed despite supplying around a fifth of the world’s total rice. The Farmer’s lease has only recently been increased from 20 years to 50 years and this may see a crop other than rice being produced.

As we drove through the countryside we saw many fields lying empty. This was due, we were told, to the poor to middle quality rice that Vietnam produced compared to the premium rice which came from Thailand in the north. The price paid for this lower quality rice was insufficient to cover the farmer’s costs and many were leaving their fields fallow. Additionally the other countries to which Vietnam exports have also increased their domestic production of rice and their import needs have declined.

Another reason was the poor quality of the soil that had resulted from levee banks preventing the rich alluvial silt of the rivers in flood from rejuvenating the land on which they sowed. The poorness of the soil also meant that the land was not suitable for other crops.

As Vietnam develops an increasing middle class the desire for the local people to eat rice has also diminished with meat and wheat products being preferred.  Perhaps in years to come you may travel to Vietnam and see little or no harvesting of rice.

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