Planting the seeds of expansion

A lone farmer walks among rice paddies.

Rice generates a significant portion of incomes in Vietnam's Soc Trang province. CIDA is improving the quality and value of rice production in conjunction with the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and with two Vietnamese universities.

Two new varieties of fragrant rice were developed for local markets. These have proven so popular that they are now produced in three other provinces in the Mekong Delta, resulting in a 20-percent increase in farmers' incomes. Applying new biological and organic models for pest control improved rice production at a lower cost. A laboratory for seed testing and verification was built to ensure that seed types continue to be developed, and that they meet international standards. As a result, the area under fragrant rice cultivation has grown from 3,600 hectares in 2005 to 22,500 hectares in 2009.