An evaluation of the impact of a school nutrition programme in Vietnam

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a school nutrition programme on the weight gain and growth of Vietnamese schoolchildren. DESIGN: A proximate cluster evaluation of children in seven schools, in which fortified milk and biscuits supplying 300 kcal of energy were being given on school days, compared with children in 14 nearby schools with no feeding. All children were dewormed. SETTING: Twenty-one primary schools in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam. SUBJECTS: A cohort of 1080 children in grade 1 of 21 primary schools, and a cross-sectional interview of 400 children in grade 3. RESULTS: The programme gave children the equivalent of 90 kcal day- 1 over 17 months. t-Tests showed a small but statistically significant difference between groups in their average gain in weight and height: 3.19 versus 2.95 kg (P < 0.001) and 8.15 versus 7.88 cm (P = 0.008). A multiple-level model showed that the programme was statistically significant after controlling for clustering of children in schools, sex, age and initial underweight (P = 0.024). A significant impact on height was also seen in a regression model, but not when controlling for school. The most undernourished children tended to gain the least weight. There was no evidence of substitution. CONCLUSION: The programme had a small but significant effect on weight gain, but the most undernourished children benefited the least. Methods need to be developed to target them. This design may offer a means of estimating the impact of school feeding on growth in other programme settings.     

Water pollution by Pangasius production in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam: causes and options for control

In this paper, we analyse water pollution caused by farming and processing Pangasianodon hypophthalmus in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The results show that 1 tonne of frozen fillets releases 740 kg BOD, 1020 kg COD, 2050 kg TSS, 106 kg nitrogen and 27 kg phosphorus, of which wastewater from fish ponds contributes 60–90% and sludge from fish ponds and wastewater from processing facilities contributes 3–27% of the total emissions. Overall, the combined waste emissions from Pangasius production and processing account for <1% of the total TSS, nitrogen and phosphorus loads in the Mekong Delta. Despite the relatively low contribution to water pollution, further reductions are possible through more efficient use of inputs and low-cost treatment and re-use of effluent streams. The use of cleaner production technologies and the development of wastewater treatment plants could be applied to large farms and processing facilities to reduce water pollution in Pangasius processing. Low-cost options for small-scale farms include the optimization of the discharge design for the re-use of wastewater.     

Water pollution by intensive brackish shrimp farming in south-east Vietnam: Causes and options for control

This paper focuses on both the environmental impact of intensive shrimp farming in the coastal region of Vietnam and the identification of options for cleaner production. We investigated water pollution, sediment contamination and the spread of diseases related to shrimp farming in the Can Gio district of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), an area representative for the impacts of intensive shrimp production in the country. Data on the production process was compiled from site observations, interviews with local farmers and experts, as well as from secondary sources. The results indicate that, while a large number of individual farms may exceed environmental standards, intensive shrimp farming is not always associated with waste streams exceeding water quality standards. This is interesting because it shows currently available technologies can reduce pollution from intensive shrimp farms. The paper concludes by identifying technologically and economically feasible options for reducing water pollution, problems associated with contaminated sediment, and the spread of diseases.     

True potato seed research and development in Vietnam

Quality tuber planting material is unavailable in the Red River Delta (RRD). The use of True Potato Seed (TPS) was considered as an alternative planting material. During the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons, 21 and 40 kilos of open pollinated TPS, respectively, were collected in the southern highlands and distributed to over 40 cooperative groups of farmers in the RRD. Fifty-two hectares (1985-86) and 120 hectares (1986-87) of potatoes were produced from transplants in the two years of on-farm production. Approximately 50% of the farmers were successful in both years. Lack of experience and too wet or too dry growing conditions caused most of the failures. Yields from transplants ranged from 5 to 13 t/ha with 150 to 300 seedling tubers/m². Seedling tubers can be stored for eight months with low storage losses and when replanted give substantially higher yields than those obtained from locally grown, degenerated seed tubers.