I WAS given the privilege to visit the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) in the Thoi Lai district, Can Tho City in Vietnam in late November, which gave me an overview on how our Southeast Asian neighbor became one of the top 2 exporters of rice globally, and is preparing its rice sector for future challenges.

Established in 1977 and given its current name in 1985, the CLRRI has been a member of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences since 2010. Its mandate is 'to study rice and rice-based crop cultivation systems for improvement of agriculture and rural development in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam,' based on a presentation furnished to me by the institute.