According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, diseases and unfavourable weather were blamed for the drop in the rice output.
The strongest falls were seen in Dong Thap province (166,000 tonnes), Long An (96,500 tonnes), Can Tho city (59,100 tonnes), and Kien Giang (50,000 tonnes).
The prices of rice in the region also dropped slightly in May, ranging between 4,400 – 6,300 VND per kilogramme depending on rice types because the crop’s rice was not qualified enough for export due to late sowing.
Besides, several rice import markets face difficulties. The stock levels at processing and export enterprises remain high.
Mekong Delta’s winter-spring rice output falls
The Mekong Delta region has completed harvesting this year’s winter-spring rice crop, with the total output reaching 9.62 million tonnes, down 361,000 tonnes as compared to the same crop last year.