21.   Recent slippages in macro-economic management and poor rice harvests have threatened its hard-earned economic stability, the report said.

22.   Shortages of food have also been caused by a prolonged drought that has devastated rice harvests over the past few months.

23.   Scientists said Thursday they have been able to gradually curb declining rice harvests in Asia through a project improving soil quality in irrigated farms across the region.

24.   Several villagers have been killed or wounded by the new mines, and they are delaying rice harvests in the area.

25.   The committee will examine how much rice harvests from the southern Philippine region of Mindanao can offset the crops destroyed by the typhoons, Barican said.

26.   The amount is approximately half of what the government needs to ensure the success of the rice harvest.

27.   The damage so far this year is relatively small because farmers were able to nearly complete their rice harvests before the floods began.

28.   The drought also also meant the failure of rice harvests in several areas, leading to predictions of food shortages.

29.   The Mekong Delta contains some of the most productive soil in Vietnam, yielding its best rice harvests.

30.   Therefore, the period shortly after a rice harvest is completed must be made the starting point of all agricultural activities in the next cycle.