Can Tho
Mekong Delta's logistics hub—90%+ of Vietnam's rice exports flow through region, record 9M tons/$5.8B (2024), $242.7M logistics corridor investment.
Can Tho anchors Vietnam's rice bowl as the Mekong Delta's logistics hub. The region produces 90%+ of Vietnam's rice exports—a record 9 million tons earning $5.8 billion in 2024 (up 23% in value). The city's multimodal network—waterways, roads, Can Tho International Airport—positions it as the gateway connecting 13 Mekong Delta provinces to Ho Chi Minh City and export markets. Decision 287 designated Can Tho the region's driving force through 2050.
But logistics bottlenecks constrain potential. Road, waterway, and port infrastructure remain underdeveloped; agricultural logistics—receiving, processing, preserving, packaging, warehousing, transportation—limit competitiveness. A $242.7 million World Bank-financed project develops waterway and logistics corridors. Over VND 800 billion upgrades irrigation, regulates dry-season water, and controls saltwater intrusion.
Trung An High-Tech Agriculture began exporting "low-emission green Vietnamese rice" to Japan—first shipments from the 1-million-hectare sustainable rice project. Pilot models cut production costs 20–30%, raised productivity 10%, and increased farmer income 20–25%. 2025 rice exports project 7.5 million tons at lower prices than 2024's records. By 2026, Can Tho tests whether green certification can offset commoditization pressure.