ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Risk Perceptions and Management Strategies
of Rice Smallholders in the Mekong Delta,
Vietnam
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1
Department of Business Administration, Economics Faculty, Nong Lam University, HCMC, Vietnam
2
Department of Economics, Economics Faculty, Nong Lam University, HCMC, Vietnam
Submission date: 2021-02-09
Final revision date: 2021-03-28
Acceptance date: 2021-04-10
Online publication date: 2021-11-24
Publication date: 2022-01-28
Corresponding author
Huy Duc Dang
Business Administration, Nong Lam University, 700000, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(1):637-651
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ABSTRACT
This empirical study investigates Vietnam rice farmers’ risk perceptions, risk management
strategies, and the relationship with socio-demographic antecedents. Data were randomly collected
from 194 farmers in An Giang province - the rice bowl of the Mekong Delta region. A flexible
combination of exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis was used to elucidate
farmers’ opinions towards risks and their corresponding management strategies. For risk perceptions,
low and unstable selling price, unstable input supply, high and fluctuating input price, lack of health
protection in pesticide use, and poor quality pesticides were perceived as the top five most important
sources of risk in the studied area. For management strategies, make use of the combined harvester,
adoption of certified varieties, selecting prestigious partners, increase the percentage of mechanization,
matching production schedule with neighbors, and using climate-adaptive varieties were the most
pivotal strategies to mitigate risks. The regression results showed that some idiosyncratic strategies can
be driven by multiple perceptions, either negative or positive. The study provides empirical evidence
to suggest tailored agricultural policies to reinforce farmers’ resilience against risks at different levels.