AGRICULTURAL POLICY IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM FROM 1945 TO 1954: REALITY AND EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Agriculture in Southern Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 played an essential role in Vietnam's economy. Agricultural development policies were crucial for production, changing the structure between economic sectors in the South and food security nationwide, especially as Vietnam was simultaneously engaged in resistance and nation-building efforts. This article aims to clarify the role of the agricultural development policies implemented by the revolutionary government in Southern Vietnam, as well as the exploitative economic policies of the French colonial administration from 1945 to 1954. The author primarily applied historical and logical research methods in this study to show that agricultural development policy has a dialectical relationship with the economy in general and agriculture in particular. The results highlight the role of agricultural policies in Vietnam’s economic development strategy, in general, and in Southern Vietnam from 1945 to 1954, in particular. These findings also provide valuable lessons for modern agricultural policy formulation in Vietnam.