Agriculture in the Mekong Delta: Challenges Amid Climate Change
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Agricultural experts warn that intensive farming combined with the growing impacts of climate change has made agriculture in the Mekong Delta increasingly vulnerable.
The urgent need now is agricultural transformation—modernizing production systems while ensuring sustainability and adaptability.
To address this challenge, the Green Innovation Centre for Agriculture and Food Sector in Vietnam (GIC Vietnam) was launched under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in cooperation with GIZ, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project focuses on driving innovation in Vietnam’s rice and mango value chains.
The GIC Vietnam Project: Building Sustainable Farming Systems
Implemented from 2020 to 2024, GIC Vietnam operates in six provinces—An Giang, Đồng Tháp, Cần Thơ, Hậu Giang, Kiên Giang, and Sóc Trăng.
Over five years, the project aims to:
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Support 20,000 smallholder farmers to improve product quality and increase income by 15–20%.
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Train 12,000 farmers to adopt environmentally friendly and resource-efficient practices.
Through innovative cultivation models, the project helps improve resource management, strengthen climate resilience, and promote sustainability in the Mekong Delta’s key agricultural sectors—rice and mango.
Innovation as the Key to Agricultural Transformation
According to Oemar Idoe, Deputy Country Director of GIZ Vietnam, agriculture in the Mekong Delta faces major challenges due to climate change.
Without transformation, the region’s agricultural growth will be difficult to sustain.
He emphasized that GIC Vietnam and its partners aim to:
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Introduce innovative approaches in agriculture and food production.
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Engage enterprises, policymakers, and communities to foster dialogue, cooperation, and shared goals for sustainable growth.
“In these challenging times,” said Mr. Idoe, “dialogue, coordination, and cooperation are essential—especially when prosperity and food security face global threats.”
Kiên Giang’s Perspective: Strengthening Farmer–Enterprise Linkages
Lê Quốc Anh, Vice Chairman of the Kiên Giang People’s Committee, acknowledged that the province has attracted many agricultural enterprises and cooperatives.
However, the implementation of large-scale production fields and value-chain linkages remains unsustainable.
He explained that:
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Farmers’ small-scale production prevents the formation of stable raw material zones.
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Market price volatility often leads to contract breaches.
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Disconnection between farmers and enterprises causes imbalance in profit and risk-sharing, leading to the recurring issue of “bumper crops, low prices.”
The GIC project, he said, is highly practical and timely, improving both cultivation techniques and market access.
The recent workshop “Promoting Agricultural Innovation in the Mekong Delta” reflected strong expectations from participating provinces for the project’s solutions to enhance product value, strengthen farmer organizations, and improve linkages in domestic and international markets—particularly in Kiên Giang Province.
Ministry Perspective: Innovation Across the Entire Value Chain
Trần Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of MARD, stressed that successful innovation requires tight coordination among all stakeholders in the value chain.
He highlighted the need for:
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Comprehensive innovation in production, organization, and market connectivity.
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Capacity building for farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises.
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Market-based mechanisms supported by government systems to scale innovations effectively.
Deputy Minister Nam noted:
“In recent years, we have seen many projects, but most operate separately. What we need is a complete value chain—from seed selection, sowing, and cultivation to harvesting, processing, and market distribution.”
He emphasized that each province must:
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Identify its raw material zones and prioritize key crops.
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Strengthen collaboration among enterprises, cooperatives, farmers, and technical experts.
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Revitalize community-based agricultural extension programs to enhance local capacity and participation.
Only through such integrated efforts can Vietnam’s rice and mango value chains achieve sustainable transformation and global competitiveness.