FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/01 - VIET NAM (6 November)
Flooding in the Mekong Delta in late October in the nine central provinces have affected some 1.3 million people. More than 250 000 houses and almost 40 000 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged or destroyed. The government has requested urgent international emergency assistance to the affected communities. Adverse weather conditions continued with typhoon Lingling, the worst to hit Viet Nam in 15 years, causing damage to infrastructure mainly in the Phu Yen and Quang Ngai Provinces.
This year’s floods follow last year's worst floods in decades that caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure and many deaths.
Official estimates have put the 2001 paddy production at around 31.8 million tonnes (20.7 million tonnes in milled rice equivalent). A rice export target for 2002 of 4.0 million tonnes has been set by the government, a rise of more than eight percent over the target for this year.
FAO has provided emergency assistance through its TCP programme for the provision of rice seeds for immediate distribution in the flood-affected regions in the southern parts of Viet Nam.