Visiting a rice mill

This is why my mom told me to wash my rice before cooking it. This place was covered in dust from dehusking and polishing of rice. Vietnam is either second or the third largest exporter of rice in the world (right behind the States and possibly Thailand). Half of their rice comes from the Mekong river delta and the other comes from the Red river delta in the north. Rice production involves seventy percent of their working population.
I read in the Lonely Planet guide that before 1986 growing rice was still under the laws of collectivism (this is still a Communist state, whatever that means). Vietnamese would try to smuggle out rice from the Mekong Delta (you were in violation if you were found with more than 10 kg of rice when leaving the area). After 1986, they changed the laws and allowed for profiteering, and three years later Vietnam went from a rice importer to a rice exporter, once again proving that most people need positive reinforcement to work harder. I love capitalism!