Improving the Technical Efficiency of Sengcu Rice Producers through Better Financial Management and Sustainable Farming Practices in Mountainous Areas of Vietnam

This paper analyzes the impacts of financial management and farming practices on the technical efficiency of Sengcu rice growers in Laocai, a mountainous province of Vietnam. The stratified random sampling method was employed to select 170 households representing two typical ecologies, lowland and upland. The structured questionnaire was applied to collect primary data through face-to-face interviews regarding current farming practices in the 2016-2017 growing seasons and farm-specific characteristics. The importantly, the study makes recommendations for policy-makers regarding how to manage provision extension, irrigation, and credit services more effectively and for producers regarding how to better manage cash-flows and receive more benefits from public support in order to improve the effectiveness of rice production and make a livelihood while working towards sustainability.