INCOME DIVERSIFICATION AND FACTORS AFFECTING RURAL HOUSEHOLDS’ INCOME IN TRA VINH PROVINCE

Abstract

Tra Vinh, one of the coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, is more affected by climate change, facing more and more difficulties in agricultural production. It is, therefore, necessary to have diverse income sources in order to improve rural households' life. This current study was conducted to examine the status of income diversification and identify factors influencing rural households’ income in Chau Thanh and Cang Long districts of Tra Vinh province. The information from 70 rural households was collected using structured questionnaires. The results showed that the income diversification index of the sample households was low (0.33), the average income was 90.28 million VND/household/year. There were big gaps in the total income among different household groups. The study also determined four main factors contributing to improving the households’ income including education level, the experience of the households’ head, cultivated area, and joining social organizations.