A SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RICE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE UPLANDS OFNORTHERN VIETNAM

Production of upland rice under shifting cultivation system is an impo rtant economic activity in the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam. A comparative study of two districts with differential market access a nd population pressure was conducted to highlight the effect of these variables on upland rice systems in northern Vietnam. Farmers in the d istrict with a greater population pressure have a shorter cropping and a shorter fallowing cycle than in the district with lower population pressure. Farmers reported a high incidence of food shortage in both d istricts. Income from livestock and wages are important for food purch ases, especially in the district with a better access to market. Even in these upland districts, access to lowland fields is a critical dete rminant of food security. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.