Resource information
Over the last decade the Vietnamese government has instigated land reforms thatrecognise the household as the basic unit of production and allocate land use rights tohouseholds. Under the 1993 Land Law these rights can be transferred, exchanged,leased, inherited, and mortgaged. This Land Law provided the foundation for thedevelopment of a market for land use rights. During 2001, 400 farm households weresurveyed in four provinces in Vietnam. Along with production and consumption data,evidence was sought of land accumulation and consolidation, land use changes, andattitudes to land reform issues. Analysis of the data shows that there is an active marketfor land use rights, but the level of activity varies considerably between provinces. Someindividual households have acquired a large percentage of their land through buying orrenting activities, as distinct from land that has been allocated or inherited. A moreactive market appears to be associated with opportunities for land use changes which leadto more profitable production activities. Lack of available land and in some cases labour,inadequate credit access, and reluctance to sell land use rights are identified as constraintsto the land use right market, rather than transaction costs and the limit on land holdings.
