Vegetable production in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. I. Opportunities and constraints

An overview is given of the natural, socio-economic, agronomical and marketing conditions for vegetable production in the Red River Delta (RRD) of Vietnam. The seasonal variation in temperature in the RRD is the main determinant for the production season of vegetables. Heavy rainfall in the hot season increases production risks, as it may physically damage crops. Frequent rainfall in this period may enhance disease incidence. Landholdings are small and individual plots are the smallest of Indochina. Vegetables typically are produced in flooded rice based systems. Such systems are characterized by poor soil structure for vegetable production and high labour demand for the construction of raised beds. Highly perishable crops can only be grown close to the markets in the pen-urban areas. Less perishable crops can be produced further away from the city markets. Generally, large quantities of pesticides are used and there is increasing public concern about pesticide residues on products. The small landholdings, small plots and consequently the small amounts of product, limit effective marketing and make the producers dependent on collectors. Given the trends in population dynamics and human diets, urban vegetable demand in the RRD, however, has ample opportunities to grow. Effects have been analysed and categorised in opportunities and constraints for adopting improvements. A potential pathway to sustainable development is the development of permanent vegetable production systems, with producers co-operating in producers organizations, enabling them to work on a larger scale, produce larger volumes, introduce harvest date planning and quality control and aim for the integration of production with marketing in a vegetable value chain. By simultaneously adopting Good Agricultural Practices, consumers' food safety concerns can be addressed. The expected increase in vegetable demand is likely to open new opportunities for the RRD vegetable producers. (C) 2013 Royal Netherlands Society for Agricultural Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.