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.