Mekong Delta farmers switch to other crops in response to climate change
More farmers in the Mekong Delta have restructured their crop cultivation to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The delta, the country’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer, has faced severe drought and saline intrusion in recent years and local authorities have encouraged farmers to switch to suitable farming models.
Many rice farmers in the delta’s coastal areas, which are affected by saltwater intrusion in the dry season, have switched completely to other crops, or rotated growing rice in the rainy season and cultivating other crops or aquaculture in the dry season on the same field.
In Soc Trang province, the shrimp-rice rotation model has provided sustainable income for farmers in My Xuyen district.
Ta Minh Bach, who is implementing the shrimp-rice rotation model in My Xuyen’s Hoa Tu 1 commune, said he harvests an average of 1.5 tonnes of shrimp each crop and 3 tonnes of paddy each crop.
