VU GIA THU BON INFORMATION CENTRE (VIETNAM)
Socioeconomic Development
Socio-economy in the VGTB basin is diverse, including changing primary sectors, agriculture, forestry and fishery, handicraft and strong growing secondary and tertiary sectors. Local economies depend very much on agriculture, the industrial and tourist sector is currently strongly developing. The commodity production and exchange is limited, and trade and services are developing at a low rate of growth (MoNRE, 2011). In the agricultural sector, cropping activities account for ca. 70% of the total value of agricultural output. Rice is the dominant staple crop and is mainly planted in the lowland areas. The planted areas for other staple crops, including maize, sweet potato and cassava are relatively small, being also mainly concentrated in the lowland districts and some midland districts near lowland areas.
Annual industrial crops are despite their small planted area important for the local economy, especially peanuts which accounts for two thirds of Quang Nam’s 14,500 ha planted area. Other annual industrial crops planted are mainly used for the local population’s own needs. Other than annual crops, perennial crops are not the main economic activity of the province. In detail, cashew nut, tea, green pepper and coconuts are the four main perennial crops of the province. Typical animal raising activities in the QN province are buffaloes, cattle, pigs, poultry and goats from which pigs and cattle are the main livestock activities in the province. Like in other regions of Vietnam, animal activities are typically undertaken by small scale farm-households. The forestry sector has a large potential for development in Quang Nam province. Forest land accounts for a high proportion of the total area. However, the forestry activity still mainly depends on harvesting natural products and its contribution to local economy is low. Given the natural favorable conditions of the coastal line, the fishing sector has great potentials to develop and raise its contribution to the QN economy. The fishery sector already accounts for ca. 24% of the total output value of the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector.
References and further reading:
CECODES, FR, CPP, UNDP (2012) The Viet Nam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) Measuring Citizens’ Experiences, Hanoi.
ILSSA, IPSARD, CIEM, DOE (2011) Characteristics of the Vietnamese Rural Economy: Evidence from a 2010 Rural Household Survey in 12 provinces, Hanoi: Statistical Publishing House.
