Drought, Saline Intrusion Threaten Vietnam’s Economy

Vietnam’s economy has been hard hit by drought and saline intrusion, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat told a cabinet meeting on March 26th.The country’s economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 is lower than the 6.12 percent growth seen in the same period in 2015, he said, with the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors hardest hit.Official news agency VNA quoted Phat as saying his ministry was partnering with localities to adjust crop cultivation methods and apply biological solutions to ensure water resources for irrigation.He recommended that the government allocate $24...