* Mr. NGUYEN NHU CUONG , Director of the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development):
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In harmony with nature and planning of 3 ecological zones
The Mekong Delta is the largest rice, aquaculture and fruit granary in the country, contributing more than 50% of rice output, 65% of aquaculture output, and 70% of fruit output. Of which, about 95% of rice exports and 60% of seafood exports of the country come from the West. However, the Mekong Delta is the region that is heavily affected by climate change.
In recent years, implementing Resolution 120 of the Government, the agricultural sector has proactively made early forecasts of drought and salinity and water resources, promptly regulated the planting time (planting early to avoid drought and salinity), re-managed the crop season in the Mekong Delta, allowed crop conversion and has brought about clear results.
Many models of natural agriculture, ecological agriculture, and multi-value integration have appeared in many localities, such as the "shrimp hugging rice" model, the model of converting monoculture rice to intercropping and polyculture, the model of adapting to drought and salinity... However, many places are still spontaneous and not bold enough to convert flexibly.
According to the orientation of agricultural development in the Mekong Delta until 2030, the agricultural production structure will be transformed to adapt to natural conditions according to 3 ecological zones, including freshwater upstream (safe zone), brackish-salt coastal zone and brackish-salt transition zone (at risk of saltwater intrusion). The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also worked with Dutch experts to consult Dutch models for sustainable agricultural transformation in the Mekong Delta.
* Mr. VO HOANG NGUYEN, Head of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Thuan district (Kien Giang province):
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Need to perfect and stabilize policies to reassure farmers
After many years of restructuring agriculture to adapt to climate change, farmers in the Mekong Delta want the government to improve and stabilize policies further so that they can feel secure in producing and getting rich on their own land. Farmers now generally believe that if they stick with the land, they will certainly escape poverty. Worries about seasonal and erratic weather have gradually receded because new production models such as crop rotation and intercropping have shown to be very effective in adapting to climate change.
The most important thing now is to perfect the production chain to link with appropriate investment mechanisms and policies to increase the value of agricultural products. I once had a private discussion with provincial leaders about converting rice fields to shrimp farming, they all agreed on the point of view that people must be the owners of their own land.
What to raise and what to plant must follow market demand and have the highest economic efficiency. It is impossible to force people who are raising shrimp and earning hundreds of millions of dong each year to go back to growing two rice crops and earning only a few tens of millions of dong.
* Mr. NGUYEN HOANG HIEP, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:
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Revolving around the main axis of fruit - rice - seafood
Resolution 120 is a major and comprehensive policy on agriculture in the direction of following nature, with a different perspective than before in the direction of product rotation. Specifically, many years ago, we mainly revolved around the main axis of rice - fruit - seafood, but since 2017 when Resolution 120 was issued, we have shifted to seafood - fruit - rice.
Faced with the climate change trend with inevitable impacts such as drought, saltwater intrusion, rising sea levels, etc., natural agriculture is a correct policy and solution for sustainable agricultural development in the Mekong Delta. However, the viewpoint of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is that natural agriculture is not about letting nature take its course but is a controlled adaptation process, not against the law. After more than 5 years of implementation, the product pivot has clearly shown that the proportion of aquatic products has increased, the proportion of rice has decreased compared to before, but the value of rice has increased.
Currently, climate change is occurring faster and more severely than predicted, requiring localities in the Mekong Delta to adapt quickly and find agricultural products that have advantages and are suitable for their localities. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is studying to adjust the operating mechanism of irrigation works in the Mekong Delta from preventing salinity and storing fresh water for rice production to regulating salinity and fresh water.
Faced with the challenge of climate change and the dwindling freshwater resources, we are also promoting the water-saving irrigation program for upland crops. The goal is that by 2025, 700,000-800,000 hectares (about 30% of the upland crop area) nationwide will be irrigated with water-saving irrigation.
* MSc. NGUYEN HUU THIEN, Research expert on ecology of the Mekong Delta:
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Return the space to absorb the "two water bags"
The Mekong Delta is like a living organism, with organs, blood vessels, and processes operating in a consistent whole. The two natural depressions at the headwaters of the Mekong Delta are the Long Xuyen Quadrangle with an area of 600,000 hectares and the Dong Thap Muoi with an area of 700,000 hectares, which have the function of regulating water for the entire delta.
Every year, when the Mekong River floods from upstream, it flows into the Dong Thap Muoi and Long Xuyen Quadrangle, causing these two areas to be flooded 3-4m deep. These are considered “two water bags”: During the flood season, some flood water is stored, making the flood more gentle; in the dry season, water from these two areas is added to the Tien and Hau rivers, pushing out salinity, helping to balance the salinity and fresh water in coastal areas.
For a long time, chasing productivity, many dikes were closed to produce 3 rice crops/year in these two low-lying areas, causing the loss of space to absorb floods. Flood water could not enter the fields, so it caused water levels to rise elsewhere, increasing flooding in downstream areas such as Can Tho and Vinh Long. Flood water could not enter the fields, so it flowed out to the sea during the flood season. In the dry season, when the Mekong River flow weakened, the delta also ran out of water, causing deeper saline intrusion.
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Tra Vinh farmers row boats to feed shrimp in the fields following the rice-shrimp model. Photo: VINH TUONG |
The Mekong Delta Integrated Planning has clearly oriented that it is necessary to reduce the intensive cultivation of three rice crops to restore flood absorption space in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi. The vision after 2030 of this planning also oriented to move freshwater areas inland and convert coastal freshwater areas back to natural seasonal alternating saline-freshwater conditions.
If we properly implement the Mekong Delta Planning and adapt agriculture to natural conditions, we will have less trouble fighting against nature. During the flood season, we will have to "bend" against floods and during the dry season, we will have to "bend" against salinity. Because the delta is a whole that cannot be operated in a fragmented, localized manner, the coordinating role of the regional coordination council needs to be strongly promoted to ensure consistent development.
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