Steps taken by the French for the development of the 'Mekong Delta region' were:
- The French built canals to drain lands in the Mekong delta to increase cultivation
- The vast system of irrigation works-canals and earthworks built mainly with forced labour increased the rice production.
- It allowed export of Rice to the international market.
- The area under Rice cultivation went up (from 2,74,000 hectares in 1873 to 2.2 million hectares in 1930).
- Vietnam exported 2/3rd of its Rice production and became the third largest exporter of Rice in the world.