There are some 30 million ducks raised annually in Vietnam. Duck and fish production has been expanding and contributes to increased income and improved living standards of the farmers, especially for poor farmers in the remote rural areas. Trials on using duckweed cultivated as a partial or complete replacement of protein supplement for feeding crossbred and Muscovy ducks gave encouraging results. The practice of using scavenging ducks to control insects and weeds in the rice fields contributes to decreased investment and brings more benefits for the farmers.
Duckweed grown in the integrated farming system is also a high quality feed for fish.
Ducks are raised throughout the country but are concentrated in the Mekong and Red River Deltas, but also in suburban areas of the big cities. Unlike the Northern countries, duck egg and meat consumption is expanding in Vietnam and they provide important and nutritious protein foods for people in both cities and rural areas, especially the poor farmers in the remote regions. The products are usually sold at a reasonable price that the poor can afford and they can be processed into many different traditional dishes and even special dishes in the restaurants of the big cities. The farmers use many traditional systems for raising ducks, of which the rice-duck system is the most common. In this system rice production is enhanced due to the ability of the ducks to control insects and weeds and at the same time excrete manure which provides nutrients for the growth of the rice plants.