The event, co-organised by the Netherlands embassy and Can Tho University, brought together public and private sector stakeholders to deepen understanding of salinity challenges, strengthen cooperation and exchange technical solutions to protect agriculture in the delta.
Participants heard that about 70 per cent of the Mekong Delta’s land, or roughly 2.5 million hectares, is used for crops, with rice accounting for 60 per cent of cultivated areas. The region is home to about 10 million farming households and more than 2,500 agricultural cooperatives, representing around 13 per cent of the national total.
The delta is a pillar of Vietnam’s food security, contributing 50 per cent of national rice output and 95 per cent of rice exports, 65 per cent of aquaculture production and 60 per cent of fish exports, as well as nearly 70 per cent of total fruit output.
However, a study by the Netherlands’ ministry of agriculture, fisheries, food security and nature found that fragmented and small-scale production remains a major constraint on agricultural exports. Dispersed plots make it difficult to meet large orders, raise costs, limit access to advanced technologies and result in inconsistent quality.
Climate-related pressures, including saltwater intrusion, soil acidification, pests and diseases, flooding, drought and land subsidence, are further threatening agricultural productivity.
Vinod Ahuja, the FAO representative in Vietnam, said saltwater intrusion directly reduces yields, increases costs and creates unstable supply for farmers, while rising salinity is also increasing operational, market and credit risks.
Associate professor Pham Dang Tri, director of the Mekong Institute at Can Tho University, said stronger links between science, policy and practice, alongside cross-border cooperation and knowledge sharing, were essential for long-term and socially inclusive adaptation.
Experts at the forum agreed that rather than trying to eliminate salinity entirely, a more effective strategy is to manage it and adapt. Regions that develop profitable farming systems under saline conditions could gain a long-term competitive advantage.
Ahuja said farmers were already adapting, with production systems shifting and new technologies being tested in the field. He called for investment in early salinity warning systems using low-cost sensors and digital modelling, alongside precision drip irrigation and smart fertilisation.
From the state, he said priority should be given to infrastructure such as community reservoirs, reinforced irrigation canals and data-driven sluice gate systems.
Raissa Marteaux, consul general of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, said the delta and crop production had long been priorities in bilateral cooperation, adding that the Netherlands remained committed to sharing knowledge and technology for shared economic and environmental benefits.