DNVN - By 2024, through the implementation of the "Green Innovation Centers" (GIC) project, more than 20,000 farmers in the Mekong Delta (MD) will have access to knowledge on innovation, different technologies and practices in rice and mango cultivation, contributing to improving productivity and sustainability in agricultural production.
On March 10, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MARD) in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) held a conference to review the project “Green Innovation Centers” (GIC) in Can Tho City. The conference aimed to evaluate the implementation results, share experiences and orient the replication of innovation initiatives in the rice and mango sectors in the Mekong Delta.
The GIC Vietnam project is a component of the Green Innovation Centers in Agriculture and Food program, part of the global initiative "One World - No Hunger" funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by the German Development Cooperation Organization (GIZ) in 15 African and Asian countries.
With a total investment of 7 million Euros, the GIC Vietnam Project is a technical assistance commitment package from the German Government, jointly implemented by GIZ, the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and 6 Mekong Delta provinces: An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Soc Trang.
The project is implemented in two key agricultural value chains, rice and mango, with the aim of supporting improved incomes for smallholder producers, creating more jobs, and enhancing the resilience of rice and mango value chains through competitive business models while minimizing environmental impacts.
The project has promoted innovation through the implementation of 10 advanced solutions for farmers, including: 6 solutions for the rice value chain: sustainable rice cultivation (SRP); alternate wetting and drying (AWD) farming method; maximum residue level (MRL) management and integrated pest management (IPM); organic rice production model on shrimp - rice; straw management and farmer business school (FBS).
The four solutions for the mango chain are pruning techniques to create canopy for mango trees; soil nutrient management; sustainable irrigation; maximum residue level (MRL) management and integrated pest management (IPM).
Beyond the household level, the project has also identified innovative solutions for cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises, including cooperative business management (rice); contract farming (rice); improving agricultural service delivery capacity (rice); branded product trading (rice and mango); and post-harvest loss management (mango). These innovations help increase productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and increase sustainability for agricultural production.
By 2024, through the implementation of the GIC Project, more than 20,000 farmers will have access to knowledge on innovation, different technologies and practices in rice and mango cultivation. Evaluation of the rice production model shows that water consumption is reduced by 28%; chemical fertilizer use is reduced by 8.6%; greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 63% compared to the scenario using traditional production methods. The number of rice-growing households meeting the requirements on maximum residue limits of pesticides according to European Union standards has increased by 21%.
Through evaluation, households applying some of the project-promoted innovations such as FBS and SRP earned an average profit of about 8-11% higher than those not applying them. For the mango model, the amount of chemical fertilizer was reduced by 25%; storage time increased by 500% (from 7 days to 35 days); productivity increased by 29%, and average income increased by 20%.
The project has the participation of 294 cooperatives and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the value chain, supporting the management and business of 91 rice cooperatives and 39 mango chain SMEs, supporting the testing of 43 innovative farming models for higher economic efficiency and lower emissions than models applying traditional methods.
The data shows that 85% of SMEs improved at least 3/5 of key business indicators, 307 new jobs were created, of which 174 were for female workers (57%), 178 were for young people (58%). These results confirm that the GIC Project has been successfully completed, with many targets even exceeding the original plan.
Mr. Vo Van Hung - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment said that after more than 4 years of implementation (2021 - 2025), the Project has brought many positive and meaningful results. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment believes that the lessons learned and the innovations implemented from the GIC Project will be useful tools and solutions to promote the restructuring of Vietnam's agricultural sector. In the immediate future, the experiences from the Project will make practical contributions to the implementation of important projects of the agricultural sector, especially the Project "Sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030".
Hoa Minh
Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/doi-moi-sang-tao-giup-nganh-nong-nghiep-phat-trien-ben-vung/20250311090434507
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