A German-Vietnamese research team used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to show that rice and shrimp farming is alternately a viable, reversible option for rice growers affected by climate change in the Mekong coastal delta in Vietnam.

The region, sometimes referred to as the “rice bowl in Vietnam,” is facing land-use transitions from permanent rice cultivation to shrimp farming, as saltwater in freshwater reaches inland areas, which seriously affects rice production.

Direct talk: “A farmer can lose everything if he can’t grow rice anymore,” says Jens Kruse of the University of Bonn, lead author of an article on a common environment for soil change and land use.

“The Mekong Delta and the Red River are examples of fertile but vulnerable regions where rice, vegetables and aquaculture products are critical to the existence of local farmers and the overall development of Vietnam,” explains the DeltAdapt website.

Alternating rice and shrimp cultivation gives farmers more flexibility, allowing them to switch between rice and shrimp in any given year, and allows them to return land for permanent rice cultivation, if necessary.

“This may be a good opportunity for farmers to adapt to changing conditions in these coastal areas - they can earn a little more money, but maintain the fertility of the land,” says Kruse.

• After a period of falling agricultural prices in Dong Tap in recent days, prices for chili peppers, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, mango and other exotic fruits have risen substantially.
• According to official Cambodian data released on Monday, July 8, rice exports from Cambodia to the European Union sharply declined after tariffs were introduced in the first half of the year, but losses were offset by increased sales to China.
• Entrepreneurs from the Leningrad region intend to begin in the very near future the cultivation and processing of Pacific shrimp in the suburbs of the Northern capital.