Harvesting rice in the pilot model of the 1 million hectare high-quality rice program in Can Tho City - Photo: HX
Following the Prime Minister's direction, localities in the region are urgently and determinedly implementing this program.
Reduce production costs
Recently, Can Tho City has summarized the pilot model with very good initial results. Mr. Nguyen Cao Khai - Director of Tien Thuan Cooperative - said that participating in the 1 million hectares of high-quality rice project brings many benefits to members as well as farmers. Compared to traditional rice cultivation, the amount of fertilizer is reduced by 20 - 30%, and input material costs are reduced by 10 - 15% per hectare.
Dr. Nguyen Van Hung - International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) - said that participating in the model of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta, just counting the cost of seeds and fertilizers, has reduced by 1.9 million VND/ha compared to the current rice cultivation method. The summer-autumn rice yield reached 6.13 - 6.51 tons/ha, 7% higher than the control rice (yield of 5.9 tons/ha).
Lower input costs help farmers increase profits from 1.3 to 6.2 million VND/ha, equivalent to about 50 to 280 USD/ha. In addition, production according to the process can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2 to 6 tons of CO2/ha, thanks to water and straw management.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Thai Nghiem - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of Can Tho - said that the model is being summarized to be implemented in the winter-spring crop of 2024 - 2025. The city registered in 2025 to have 35,000 hectares and by 2030, 48,000 hectares participating in the project. In each locality where the project is implemented, the city has made a model so that farmers can see firsthand the economic, environmental, and health benefits and participate in the project.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc He - Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee - said that the results of this model are the foundation and basis for the city's agricultural sector to replicate it across the entire area participating in the project as committed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Dong Thap has piloted 50 hectares of high-quality rice to reduce emissions in the 2024 autumn-winter crop - Photo: DANG TUYET
Simultaneous deployment
In Soc Trang, Mr. Tran Tan Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - said that the province registered to implement 72,000 hectares in the program of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice, implemented from 2024 - 2030. In the first year 2024, Soc Trang will pilot 50 hectares at Hung Loi Agricultural Cooperative (Long Duc commune, Long Phu district).
Having worked with rice for many years, Mr. Phuong said that the implementation of the program in Soc Trang has been quite favorable. For more than seven years, Soc Trang has implemented the sustainable agricultural transformation project (VnSAT project), which has had a positive impact on the rice cultivation process of farmers. With this foundation, when switching to a new form of cultivation, farmers are no longer surprised.
In addition, according to Mr. Phuong, Soc Trang is also the cradle of high-quality fragrant rice production, especially the ST variety that won the "throne" at the world's best rice contest, so the rice growing skills of Soc Trang farmers have been significantly improved.
In Dong Thap, Mr. Nguyen Van Vu Minh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - said that in the 2024 autumn-winter crop, the province has piloted a project with an area of 50 hectares of high-quality, emission-reducing rice grown at Thang Loi Cooperative (Thap Muoi district), which is now 28 days old.
According to Mr. Minh, by 2025, Dong Thap province will implement the project in seven rice-growing districts and cities of the province, including Tan Hong, Hong Ngu, Tam Nong, Thanh Binh, Cao Lanh, Thap Muoi and Hong Ngu city, with a total area of nearly 70,000 hectares. In 2030, it will be implemented in Lap Vo district, striving to reach a total area of 161,000 hectares.
In Kien Giang, according to Mr. Le Huu Toan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - the province participates in the high-quality, low-emission rice program with an area of about 200,000 hectares. The locality will implement two phases, including: Phase 1 (2024 - 2025), focusing on consolidating the existing areas of the VnSAT project of 24,738 hectares and expanding the area outside the VnSAT project area towards the target of 100,000 hectares by 2025 (60,000 hectares in 2024).
Phase 2 (2026 - 2030), the locality identified key areas to establish investment projects to develop new high-quality, low-emission specialized rice areas of 100,000 hectares, aiming for the goal of 200,000 hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice in Giang Thanh, Kien Luong, Hon Dat, Tan Hiep, Chau Thanh, Giong Rieng, Go Quao, An Bien, An Minh, U Minh Thuong, Vinh Thuan districts and Rach Gia city.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Graphics: T.DAT
Suggestions and recommendations
According to Mr. Tran Tan Phuong, the implementation of the program changes the entire production method, so it requires persistent propaganda to help people understand the purpose and requirements of the project, from which people will change their awareness and support.
According to Mr. Phuong, the current infrastructure still has many limitations and needs more attention. Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Vu Minh said that the locality needs resources to improve the technical infrastructure for rice cultivation, and to improve the technical infrastructure to ensure water control in the fields.
The requirement is to collect 70% of straw from the fields by 2025, aiming for 100% by 2030. In case of force majeure, the straw can be chopped and supplied back to the fields. This needs to be implemented carefully and specifically to achieve this straw collection rate.
In addition, Mr. Minh said that a specific mechanism is needed to make this program effective. “Currently, a large number of businesses are quite enthusiastic. However, to ensure sustainable connectivity, more focus is needed on negotiating with participating parties in the next replication models.
The agricultural sector will forecast this connection story to propose to the Government to have specific mechanisms for the program. Because the program only covers about 6-7 years, it needs a specific mechanism to implement the models," said Mr. Minh.
Meanwhile, Mr. Le Huu Toan said that the difficulty is that there is currently no tool or framework for measuring MRV (controlling greenhouse gas emissions) to serve monitoring activities and develop technical support plans... The program's requirement is that the straw collection rate is over 70% in phase 1 and 100% in phase 2, which the locality considers will be difficult due to dependence on weather, seasons, and the ability to utilize straw in large quantities; there are no financial guidelines for selling carbon credits (CO2).
Therefore, Mr. Toan proposed that agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development soon deploy training courses, provide guidance on the MRV measurement system framework, and provide financial guidance on selling carbon credits.
● Mr. Cao Duc Phat (former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IRRI in Vietnam):
Implementing the Vietnamese Government's commitment to the international community
The goal of the 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice program is to increase farmers' income and, through reducing pesticides, reducing water, reducing plant protection chemicals, reduce environmental pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fulfill the Vietnamese Government's commitment to the international community. Through the report of Can Tho City, we are on the way to achieving these two goals.
I hope to spread this model throughout the Mekong Delta and the whole country to fulfill the expectations of farmers. First of all, rice farmers will have a better life, with higher income, a cleaner environment, contributing to the common efforts of the whole world to fight climate change.
This is one of the relatively complete models. We implemented it on the basis of seven years ago with the help of the World Bank to implement the VnSAT project to complete a step of infrastructure, especially the irrigation project and have applied technical packages. With this pilot model, we will complete one more step to complete it. If farmers find it good, we will expand it together, in the near future, by 2030, we will reach the target of 1 million hectares.
Implemented in 12 provinces and cities
The program of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 is implemented in 12 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta (except Ben Tre province).
Before implementing on a large scale, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development conducted pilot fields in five localities, including: Can Tho City, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Dong Thap. Of which, Can Tho was the first locality to implement in the summer-autumn crop with an area of 50 hectares at Tien Thuan Cooperative (Thanh An Commune, Vinh Thanh District).
● Mr. Le Thanh Tung (Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development):
Initial results are very encouraging.
The implementation of the project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice is being vigorously carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Mekong Delta provinces and has brought about very encouraging initial results.
Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development continues to direct the implementation of seven models in five provinces and cities: Can Tho, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Dong Thap and Tra Vinh. Of which, Tra Vinh and Kien Giang each have two models. Currently, the first model in Can Tho has been harvested with a cost reduction of 1 - 6 million VND/ha, a yield increase of 200 - 500 kg/ha, and a reduction of 2 - 6 tons of carbon emissions/ha.
The direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for these seven models is to do three consecutive crops, then summarize the models, draw out the advantages, difficulties, achievements and shortcomings to continue implementation.
Specifically, these five provinces and the remaining seven provinces have all developed plans to expand the model within their provinces. In parallel with the ministry's model, each district of the provinces has also developed a model of 30-50 hectares or more depending on the capacity of the province. These are models that implement all the criteria of the program such as strengthening cooperatives, organizing linkages, implementing farming processes, completing the internal field system, etc.
At the same time, the provinces have also developed a plan to implement the program until 2025, until 2030. Accordingly, by 2025, it will reach 180,000 - 200,000 hectares. Currently, the provinces have fully registered, fully located on the map, and also assessed the infrastructure system (internal irrigation, traffic) to serve rice production to meet the requirements of the program in the coming time.
Hau Giang demonstrates the application of advanced technology in a pilot model of rice cultivation to reduce emissions - Photo: CHI CONG
* Sir, in reality, what difficulties and problems have arisen in implementing the program that need to be resolved?
– Input enterprises follow the process of the Department of Crop Production in terms of cultivation techniques, which is completely possible. Even measuring and calculating greenhouse gas emission reduction, many enterprises, IRRI also participates in supporting. However, there are still few enterprises participating in linking the consumption of output agricultural products according to the program's criteria.
Second, the work of mobilizing and propagating the program to farmers is still slow. We only disseminate techniques, emission reduction, and cost reduction, but there is still no specific program for more specific benefits for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. This is not only the work of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development but also of the entire political system and media agencies.
The third difficulty is the foundation of the links. Farmers participating in the project have not kept up with the growth rate of the area. The area can increase very quickly, but the cooperative to develop according to this area is slow because it is related to the law, gathering farmers, etc.
* Some businesses have complained about difficulties in accessing capital to implement the program. How will this be resolved, sir?
– During a meeting with voters in Can Tho City on July 14, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he had directed the State Bank of Vietnam to resolve this issue. I believe this problem will be resolved soon.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also created most of the legal documents to serve the program such as establishing steering committees, issuing participation criteria, technical procedures, agricultural extension training, including the issue of calling for funding, the management board builds programs and projects to mobilize support funds, meets and cooperates with international organizations, etc.
The remaining problem is how to implement synchronously in each locality. In the past, some localities have implemented very drastically and effectively, but there are still many provinces that have not really taken action. Localities must have focal points, have direction, and be more drastic. Provincial leaders need to participate in directing, otherwise it will be very difficult if we just stop at the department level.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lam-cho-duoc-1-trieu-ha-lua-chat-luong-cao-20240716091531986.htm
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