UNCLASSIFIED
000004
MDLIAN 6986
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HANOI
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 174
OF 1003OOZ MAY 88
INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS, BANGKOK, PARIS, NEW YORK, FAO ROME
MY TELNO 167: AGRICULTURAL
•
CRISIS
!!
1 I HAVE NOW RECEIVED THE DOCUMENT REFERRED TO IN PARA 1 OF MY TUR. COPIES BY BAG. IN BRIEF IT CLAIMS THAT OF THE 17 PROVINCES IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY 12 HAVE A SERIOUS FOOD PROBLEM: 7,750,000 PEOPLE ARE LACKING FOOD', OF WHICH OVER 3 MILLION (40 PER CENT OF THEM CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS) ARE ''ON THE EDGE OF STRAVATION''. THE NEXT HARVEST WILL BE IN JUNE: BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PESTS THERE WILL BE A SHORTFALL OF 700,000 TONS OF RICE FROM THE NOT VERY AMBITIOUS TARGET OF 3.4 MILLION TONS. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF OF 108,414 TONS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS ARISING BEFORE THE NEXT HARVEST. THE VIETNAMESE WILL TRY TO MOBILISE 40 PER CENT OF THIS FROM SOURCES WITHIN VIETNAM, AND HAS ADDRESSED AN APPEAL TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME AND THE THE FAO FOR THE REMAINING 65,000 TONS, TO BE DELIVERED TO HAIPHONG.
2.
COMMENT
THIS SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE TO SOLVE THE SHORT ERM ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM IS PROBABLY WHERE THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD HAVE STARTED WHEN CONVENING THE MEETINGS ON 14 APRIL (MY TELNO 144), ALTHOUGH I AM SURE IT WAS RIGHT ON THAT OCCASION TO ALERT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO THE SLIGHTLY LONGER TERM PROBLEM OF A STRATEGIC DEFICIENCY OF GRAIN, FERTILISERS AND PESTICIDES.
3
I HAVE OVER THE LAST MONTH TRAVELLED THROUGH PARTS OF THE COUNTRY- SIDE OF TEN OF THE TWELVE WORSE HIT PROVINCES, AND HAVE VISITED A COOPERATIVE NEAR HANOI. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAVE YET TO SEE O BVIOUS SIGNS OF REAL DISTRESS APART FROM A NUMBER OF CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM VITAMIN DEFICIENCY. HOWEVER, IT IS THE CALE THAT THERE IS A WATER SHORTAGE AND A SHORTAGE OF WATER PUMPING EQUIPMENT AND ELECTRICITY TO RUN IT, THAT MOST CHILDREN REACHING THE MAIN
THAT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN HANOI ARE SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION, RICE RATIONS IN THE TOWNS ARE NOT BEING MET BY THE AUTHORITIES AND THAT THE PRICE OF FREE MARKET RICE IS PROHIBATIVE (BEING MORE THAN 10 PER CENT OF AN AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY PER KILO).
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THERE
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