No wonder we see many "farmers" around JC/GL
Rice farmers becoming poorer, say experts
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Rice growers are becoming much poorer, said several experts at a seminar entitled “Vietnamese agriculture - effectiveness and sustainability,” which was held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Can Tho City People’s Committee on Tuesday.
Experts at the seminar said that this has been caused by the high expenditure for family and production and by degenerated soil.
Dr. Le Van Banh, head of the Mekong Delta Rice Institute, said, “In addition, low prices and fluctuating market trends, have made farmers more in need of government assistance, as they have not being able to regulate the price of rice."
According to the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute, agricultural output and exports have risen sharply, but this has not help farmers increase their level of income. The difference between the rich and the poor, and the urban and rural areas has become wider in recent years. The Mekong Delta annually contributes 90 percent of the country’s rice export volume.
Source: Tuoi Tre – Translated by Hai Mien