Rice production at risk in Vietnam

Rice production at risk in Vietnam

HANOI (AP): Worsening floods are threatening rice production in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, officials said on Monday.

More than 40 percent of 558,000 hectares of paddies are under water in An Giang, Dong Thap and Long An provinces in the extreme south of the country.

Thousands of soldiers have been dispatched to help farmers fight the floods, but more rain is forecast this week.

Vietnam's 12 Mekong Delta provinces produce the vast bulk of the country's rice exports. Last year, Vietnam exported 4.8 million tons of rice, making it the world's second largest exporter behind Thailand.