| Abstract | Livelihood and crop diversification are prominent features in the Red River Delta of Vietnam, where income from agricultural production is ranked in the top position. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the key factors that make the difference between farmers’ livelihood and cropping systems and to develop the best model of farmer’s operation. The filed survey and farmer interview are conducted in two communes Hop Tien and Gia Xuyen, located in Bac Hung Hai and Nam Sach irrigation systems of Red River Delta. Principal component analysis is applied to determine the main key factors in Gia Xuyen are: age of head farmer, family size, elevation of farm, cultivated land size, and intention for crop diversification and in Hop Tien are: expertise of farmer, number of farm labor in family, livestock style, rice yield and intention for crop diversification. The factors explain cropping system diversification in Gia Xuyen (cropping styles, location of farm, seedling used, herbicide used and potassium used) and Hop Tien (cropping system, intention about crop diversification, satisfaction with water supply condition, potassium used and location of farm. Using typological approach and OLYMPE approach platform to develop the farmers’ types and assess their performance. The farmer type is established according to main livelihood and cropping system. The results show farmer type II (full time farmer with aquaculture activities) performs the highest net income and the cropping system (rice, water melon, winter vegetable) gets highest income per one land density. Similarly, in Hop Tien the farmer type I2-4 (part time farmer gets commercial orientation with integrated production model of rice, water melon, animal and fish pond gives out the highest profit and the cropping system (rice, water melon, litchi) also get the highest profit per one land density. Three near future scenario about rice crisis, increase of fertilizer price and rice yield also are investigated to show the model get most sensitive rate: type I1_2 in Hop Tien with crops: squash, onion, longan, and model in Gia Xuyen (rice, soybean, onion) are influenced significantly with these changes. The key factors suggest core issues in agricultural production; the local authorities should mind about the water supply situation and the diversification in production of farmers in Hop Tien and the fertilizer used, cropping styles in Gia Xuyen in planning strategies. From farmers’ performances some suggestions are proposed as follows: Farmer in Gia Xuyen with cultivation model: rice, soybean, and special onion should change to other crops that gets higher profit and less influence by crisis like cropping style: rice, water melon, vegetables. And the farmers in Hop Tien should invest more to the integrated model of rice, onion, water melon, animal and fish pond. The experience exchange between farmers should be promoted. For managers training for farmer about production techniques, supply capital loan resources with low interest rate, fertilizer subsidy, new rice and vegetable variety should be invested. Besides that, training working skills, encouraging people do in industrial or service sectors in Hop Tien and the traditional handicraft in Gia Xuyen should be promoted. The timely research, forecast about market’s demand should be conducted to inform to farmers. Infrastructures, irrigation systems are also should be invested more. Further research about agriculture production in other regions should be conduct to investigate the best farmer’s operation model and the research about impacts of input price, climate hazard to income in production should be conducted in the large scale. |