歴史的視点より見るメコン・デルタの農業開拓 : 1995年夏の現地調査報告

In the Mekong delta, which experienced a new wave of Vietnamese colonization in the 20th century, there remain even today large tracts of fallow land where settlers families are allowed to try their luck and gain some measure of autonomy. Through an analysis of several recent cases of development in the Mekong delta, the writer considers the conditions for agricultural development in this area. This paper consists of three parts. First, the writer discusses five settlements which were recently created for rice field cultivation in remote areas: (1) U Minh forest in the Camau peninsula, for afforestation and settlement (3 cases), (2) My Lam State farm in Kien Giang province started in 1977, and (3) the frontier region in Dong Thap province. These frontier areas were abandoned under French domination because they were located in broad depressions or floodplain areas often inundated in the rainy season. Second, each of these cases are inspected in historical perspective, after a general explanation of the history of agriculture in the Mekong delta from 17th century. Finally, the writer discusses the problems of the present production system in the Mekong delta in view of three fundamental points: technique or capital, land and laborers