Deepak Johnson, a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, presented his preliminary findings from his recently concluded fieldwork in Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

His study focuses on the economics of agricultural production,particularly from rice cultivation, in Adat village in Thrissur district, Kerala, and in Dinh Thanh, a commune in the Mekong delta, Vietnam. In addition to incomes from crop production, the study also examines different strategies adopted by the respective governments in relation to rice cultivation. In Vietnam, the government has focused on increasing rice yields and intensification of rice cultivation through research and extension services. These efforts have resulted in improvement of incomes from agriculture. In Kerala, the focus has been more on providing different types of direct support to farmers, including high price for their produce and subsidies for different inputs.