Well-developed irrigation systems in the Mekong Delta have played a keyrole in agricultural and fishery production and the ongoing shifting ofthe regions' economic structure, speakers pointed out at a Dec 11conference in Can Tho.

The conference was organised by the Southwestern Steering Committee and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In 1995, when the irrigation system was poorly developed, averageagricultural productivity was only 4.1 tonnes per ha, and paddy yield12.8 million tonnes.

Since 1996, paddy productivity hasincreased sharply. Last year, productivity reached an average of 5.6tonnes per ha, with total production of 23.1 million tonnes.

The region now has five reservoirs, 1,221 pumping stations, 11,138kilometres of canals, more than 25,900 kilometres of dykes, and seadykes measuring a total of 460 kilometres in length.
 
Besidesbringing water to nearly 4 million ha of farmland every year, theirrigation system has also helped expand aquaculture farms in theregion.

In 1995, the region had a total of 289,200 ha of water surface, with aquaculture productivity of 267,000 tonnes.

Last year, the region had nearly 740,000 ha of water surface for fish and shrimp cultivation.

The Delta has identified priority projects, programmes and implementation plans through 2020 and to 2050.

A few months ago, the Government also issued an irrigation developmentplan for the Mekong Delta that would help the region adapt to climatechange and higher sea-levels.

The plan aims to graduallyimprove the irrigation systems, water supply, drainage, flood controland salinity control for 1.8 million ha of rice-farming land in thedelta.

The plan also calls for the completion of a system ofsea dykes and river dykes, and regulation of the sewerage system tomaintain fresh water and prevent salinity.-VNA