Land Reform Program Limits Rice Farm Sizes

In the mid-20th century, the government of South Vietnam, under President Ngô Đình Diệm, initiated a land reform program aimed at redistributing agricultural land. This program specifically targeted the rice farming sector, where the size of farms owned by individuals was limited. The reform made approximately 1.8 million acres of farmland available for purchase, primarily benefiting landless farmers who had been historically marginalized in the agricultural economy. The intention behind this initiative was to promote equitable land distribution and improve the livelihoods of the rural poor, who constituted a significant portion of the population. However, the implementation of the program faced substantial challenges. By the end of the decade, the reform process had largely stalled, primarily due to the resistance from large landowners, many of whom were influential supporters of Diệm's regime. This created a conflict of interest, as the very individuals who were expected to support the reform were the ones most affected by it.