Bayer Vietnam accompanies the national strategy on developing key crops

The project is built on a long-term public-private partnership between Bayer Vietnam and the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC), the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI) and many leading partners in the agricultural sector.

The Better Life Farming project was launched with the aim of supporting smallholder farmers cultivating two key crops, coffee and durian, in Dak Lak province. Photo: Nguyen Bao.

International Cooperation Alliance Pilots Support for Coffee and Durian Farmers

The “Project on developing key fruit trees to 2025 and 2030” was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on October 27, 2022. Regarding coffee production, the Project aims to have the coffee area meeting production standards account for about 40% of the total 660,000 hectares of coffee in Vietnam by 2030, including 600,000 hectares in the Central Highlands region. The goal is to increase the value of Vietnamese coffee in the international market.

As for durian, the project aims to develop about 65 - 75 thousand hectares, striving to produce 830 - 950 thousand tons of durian by 2030. According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province: the locality currently has 22,458 hectares of durian (harvest area of ​​over 9,600 hectares), accounting for 43.2% of the fruit tree area.

Dak Lak province currently has 22,458 hectares of durian, accounting for 43.2% of the fruit tree area. Photo: Nguyen Bao.

However, to fully exploit the economic potential of these two crops, farmers must overcome many challenges, including the impact of climate change, natural disasters, plant pests and diseases, lack of water for cultivation, and declining soil quality.

Faced with challenges and market demands, coffee and durian farmers are seeking and testing modern, sustainable farming methods to meet the requirements of productivity, output, and harvest quality, while minimizing environmental impacts, effectively utilizing and restoring natural resources. In addition, they are expanding connections with export purchasing units, seeking potential markets to ensure increasingly high output and profits.

In this context, the BLF project is expected to provide timely and effective support with the goal of helping coffee and durian farmers become extremely useful. BLF also expands its domestic and international cooperation network to create long-term impacts for local farming communities.

BLF, co-founded by Bayer, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Netafim, is a public-private partnership that continues to expand its network at the global and national levels, including partners from the public and private sectors and across the entire agricultural value chain. The alliance is committed to providing innovative agricultural solutions that promote economic, social and environmental sustainability, improving the quality of life for farming communities.

In Vietnam, the initiative has successfully attracted the participation of private enterprises and government agencies, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Netafim – the Precision Agriculture division of Orbia, a world leader in irrigation systems, Netafilm, a pioneer in precision agriculture solutions to address water scarcity, shrinking arable land, and declining food production; Yara – a global fertilizer brand specializing in providing leading plant nutrition solutions in Vietnam, optimizing productivity, developing healthy crops and improving soil health; the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI).

Better Life Farming is co-founded by Bayer Group, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Netafim. Photo: Nguyen Bao.

Within the framework of this project, Bayer Vietnam and the National Center for Agricultural Product Development signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to cooperate in developing the durian and coffee industries in Vietnam, in accordance with the national orientation and strategy on sustainable development in the agricultural sector, especially developing key crops, contributing to socio-economic development.

Solution set "Burst durian and bumper coffee"

One of the important solutions Bayer brings to the BLF project in Vietnam is the Harvest Solution Suite, including Durian Harvest and Coffee Harvest, which helps support plant health management, combat fungal diseases, such as Phytophthora fruit rot in durian, as well as insect pests and weeds, and care for plant roots, helping plants grow healthily and produce high yields.

When applying the right set of solutions, farmers can effectively manage pesticide residues, ensuring that harvested fruits meet safety and quality standards when exported, thereby building the brand and value of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market.

These solutions have been technically assessed by WASI and successfully implemented in many farming models, and are highly appreciated by local farmers for their effectiveness. This year, some durian gardens of farmers in Dak Nong have applied Bayer's solution set in combination with modern farming methods and achieved very positive results: fungal pests and diseases reduced by 80 - 90%, yield increased by nearly 20%, estimated at 20 tons/ha, durian fruit quality is more uniform and stable, grade A fruit accounts for 70 - 80% compared to last year.

In addition, Bayer also piloted an online agronomic consulting solution via the Zalo account “Durian Consulting with Bayer” for durian farmers, with a team of experts who will answer farmers’ questions about pest situations, garden care, and instructions based on the specific conditions and cultivation stages of the garden. In particular, through this platform, farmers can register to have experts visit and consult directly in the garden.

Bayer's Bountiful Harvest solution helps farmers effectively manage pesticide residues and meet safety and quality standards when exporting. Photo: Nguyen Bao.

“Effective agronomic solutions, including crop protection, nutrition and irrigation, are essential for farmers to grow crops efficiently and sustainably, bringing high profits. In addition to helping farmers access advanced farming techniques, we also promote collaboration and bring a systemic approach to help solve farmers’ challenges,” said Mr. Kg Krishnamurthy, Director of Crop Science Division of Bayer Vietnam.

“Through collaboration between the public sector, agricultural experts, local communities and partners in the agricultural value chain, we can develop comprehensive strategies to support smallholder farmers, promote economic, social and environmental sustainability, and create positive and lasting impacts,” added Mr. Kg Krishnamurthy.

The project consists of two main elements: the BLF Demonstration Models and the BLF Center chain. The BLF Demonstration Models will be coffee or durian gardens of local farmers applying modern farming solutions with technical advice from Bayer and its partners. This will also be a place for visitors to learn and verify the effectiveness of the solutions, and a place for exchanging and sharing practical experiences among farmers in the area.

The BLF Center chain is operated by local businesses, acting as a hub providing comprehensive agricultural solutions to farmers, providing knowledge, technical advice, market information and connecting farmers with the agricultural value chain.

In the later stages of development, the project aims to enhance the role of the BLF Center chain to provide more services and support programs for farmers, according to the actual needs of each locality, including initiatives to help care for community health, support women and develop the next generation in the agricultural sector, thereby improving the quality of life comprehensively.

Source: https://danviet.vn/bayer-viet-nam-dong-hanh-cung-chien-luoc-quoc-gia-ve-phat-trien-cay-trong-chu-luc-20241017180743506.htm