Localities are still confused about implementing the project of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice.

On the afternoon of December 17, the People's Committee of An Giang province held a conference to review one year of implementing the "Project for sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030 in An Giang" (the project). Mr. Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development attended online and directed the conference.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang province, implementing the project, in 2024, the department has implemented 18 models, each model is 50 hectares, with a total area of ​​900 hectares, in 9 districts, towns and cities and 4 models thoroughly implemented according to the criteria of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with an area of ​​52 hectares, in 4 districts of Phu Tan, Chau Thanh, Tri Ton and Thoai Son. On the local side, Phu Tan and Chau Phu districts have implemented 165 hectares according to the process of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the last Autumn-Winter crop.

Delegates attending the conference.

Up to now, the whole province has 1,117 hectares of model area thoroughly applied according to the technical requirements of the process of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice; the whole province also recorded the basic area meeting the process of 7,419 hectares/20,690 hectares (this is the area developed from the Vnsat project by the end of 2023 is 22,310 hectares, these areas have met the requirements of the process 1 must 5 reduction, of which 36% of the area meets the straw collection target). Thus, the total area applied according to the process of 1 million hectares in 2024 reached 8,536 hectares/20,609 hectares, reaching 41.4% of the planned area for 2024.

In parallel with the models, the province deployed 93 training courses on propaganda on implementing the criteria of 1 million hectares and 12 training courses on cultivation techniques in accordance with the criteria of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in localities in the province.

The results of the models show that the average amount of seeds has been reduced by 67kg of rice seeds/ha (model 80kg/ha; control: 120-170kg/ha); the average field yield is 0.1 ton/ha higher than the control (model: 6.5 tons/ha; control: 6.4 tons/ha); production costs are reduced by an average of 4-5 million VND/ha; the model profit is 3.6-5.3 million VND/ha higher than the control.

According to Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang province, because the project implementation plan has been officially deployed in An Giang province since June 2024, while the province has not had timely support policies and promoted activities to quickly multiply the plan, the area has not been able to reach the progress as planned. In addition, localities are still very confused and not determined in implementing the project. Up to now, only 2/11 localities have implemented the model, so the total area of ​​the province has not reached the Decision of the Provincial People's Committee.

In addition, the province's agricultural mechanization investment is not synchronous in all stages, in which the stages of sowing, combining fertilizer, collecting straw, etc. are still lacking, so it is difficult to implement the sustainable rice cultivation process of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Cooperatives and agricultural cooperative groups are small in scale; the technology level is backward, the capacity of the management staff is weak; the quality and efficiency of cooperatives are still low; most of them focus mainly on irrigation pumping services, not yet promoting the central role of the chain.

Mr. Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, gave an online speech at the conference to review 1 year of implementing the "Project for sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030 in An Giang".

The rate of linkage in the rice chain is still low, accounting for less than 16% of the planned area of ​​the enterprise; credit policies for cooperatives and agricultural cooperative groups still face many difficulties; members of the Community Agricultural Extension Group still have limited knowledge...

According to the plan, in 2025, An Giang will implement an area of ​​44,051 hectares in 11 districts, towns and cities. In particular, in order for farmers to access the model and boldly implement the project locally, in the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring crop, the whole province will implement 47 models with an area of ​​526 hectares, of which the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will implement 18 models with an area of ​​270 hectares, Phu Tan district will implement 12 models with an area of ​​136 hectares, Tri Ton farmers will replicate the model with an area of ​​40 hectares using cluster seeders, Chau Phu will implement 16 models with an area of ​​80 hectares.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan emphasized the goal of restructuring the rice industry towards sustainability, adapting to climate change and the global green consumption trend. The Minister pointed out that sustainable agricultural development cannot only focus on productivity and output but also needs to aim at reducing production costs, improving the quality and value of rice grains. At the same time, ensuring the environment and farmers' health.

Mr. Ho Van Mung, Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee spoke at the conference.

The Minister requested that authorities at all levels, businesses and cooperatives must accompany farmers; businesses need to commit to purchasing rice at a higher price than the market price to encourage farmers to join cooperatives, create motivation for cooperation and increase profits. However, to achieve sustainability, the Minister said that it is important to improve farmers' capacity through agricultural extension activities, popularizing precise and effective farming techniques.

Minister Le Minh Hoan also noted that the restructuring process of the rice industry must be based on an ecosystem linking the government, businesses and farmers. Businesses need to invest in infrastructure, modern machinery such as combine harvesters, as well as ensure stable output. The government and Party committees need to stand side by side, listen and promptly remove difficulties, thereby creating trust and attachment of farmers to the production chain. The Minister hopes that An Giang will be a pioneer in building a sustainable rice industry ecosystem, contributing to enhancing the brand and value of Vietnamese rice in the international market.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Ho Van Mung, Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee, acknowledged the opinions and directions of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and requested departments, branches and localities to continue implementing the project; review the advantages and difficulties and make recommendations to implement the project according to plan.

Regarding capital to support cooperatives and cooperative groups, the Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee will have a separate meeting with the State Bank of the province and the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development of the province to remove difficulties so that cooperatives can soon access loan capital.

Source: https://danviet.vn/an-giang-cac-dia-phuong-con-lung-tung-trien-khai-thuc-hien-de-an-1-trieu-ha-lua-chat-luong-cao-20241217161306195.htm