Shift from process to benefit storytelling to spread IPHM

AN GIANG Integrated Plant Health Management (IPHM) is a solution for sustainable rice production, however, its implementation still faces bottlenecks that need to be resolved for widespread replication.

Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of An Giang Province, Nguyen Thi Le, said that the IPHM (Integrated Plant Health Management) program has proven its economic , environmental and social effectiveness when properly implemented in rice production. Specifically, input costs are reduced by 15-20%, rice grain quality is stable, food safety is ensured, and emissions are reduced. To turn the model into a standard, An Giang needs to quickly remove bottlenecks in terms of people, organization and market.

An Giang organizes training courses for source lecturers on IPHM to propagate and popularize IPHM technical solutions to each field. Photo: Trung Chanh.

The first bottleneck is awareness and habit. Many farmers believe in the experience of “prevention is better than cure”, are ready to spray when pests first appear, and practice thick sowing to “be sure”. Meanwhile, IPHM requires making decisions based on thresholds, based on ecosystem observations, sparse sowing with sufficient seed quantity, balanced nutrition, and prioritizing biological measures.

The second bottleneck is technical human resources. The grassroots agricultural staff is not dense enough to “hand-hold” each field. Therefore, An Giang aims to train at least 5 national IPHM lecturers, 20 provincial lecturers and 2 staff in charge for each rice-growing commune and ward. This network will transfer IPHM knowledge to each field.

The third bottleneck is that the chain link is still fragile. Just a price fluctuation of a few hundred VND/kg can shake the agreement between enterprises, cooperatives and farmers. To "lock" the chain, transparent contracts, consistent profit sharing formulas, and reward and penalty mechanisms based on quality are needed. Along with that, there needs to be a mechanism to reduce market shocks such as agricultural insurance, crop credit, and local stabilization funds of cooperatives. When benefits are guaranteed, chain discipline will be formed.

The fourth bottleneck is that communication and propaganda to bring IPHM to farmers are still limited. The way to propagate to farmers needs to have easy-to-understand content, everyday language, and limit too much technical terminology. Therefore, communication about IPHM must switch to the "language of benefits", integrating real stories, real numbers, real fields, real people. Each commune and hamlet needs to build at least one demonstration site so that everyone can come and see and discuss.

From these bottlenecks, An Giang proposed groups of solutions such as: Standardizing the IPHM process according to Decision No. 145/QD-TT-CLC of the Department of Crop Production promulgating the process and handbook guiding the technical process of producing high-quality and low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta. Accordingly, expanding the rice cultivation area applying alternating flooding and drying, digitizing field diaries, standardizing drying, storage and transportation processes to ensure the quality of rice after harvest.

Applying IPHM to fields helps cooperatives in An Giang reduce input costs by 15-20%, ensuring food safety for products, moving towards low-emission farming. Photo: Trung Chanh.

Consolidate and take cooperatives as the core, form mechanical service teams, quality monitoring teams, build regional crop maps, coordinate planting and harvesting synchronously. Sign multi-level consumption contracts between farmer organizations, cooperatives and members with a price mechanism linked to quality. Build certified fields, trace the origin to target high-value segments.

Invest heavily in training IPHM instructors at all levels, train rural youth to become “field engineers”. Change communication from “telling the process” to “telling the benefits”, broadcast on multiple platforms, organize field competitions, “IPHM festivals” according to the season.

Another strategic piece in the IPHM puzzle is varieties and brands. It is necessary to order institutes, schools, and businesses to research and select high-quality rice varieties suitable for each ecological sub-region, forming large raw material areas according to key varieties, and meeting the needs of the target market.

An Giang has a great advantage in rice production with the largest area and annual harvest output in the Mekong Delta region. However, scale is only a necessary condition, the sufficient condition is chain discipline and technical discipline. The IPHM solution is a set of rules that help that discipline penetrate deeply into each field and each production stage to reduce emissions and increase value, becoming a natural result.

When the bottlenecks are resolved at the right point, IPHM will no longer be a pilot model but will become the operating standard for fields in An Giang. That is the way to help An Giang move quickly but still ensure certainty on the path to implementing the Project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/chuyen-tu-ke-quy-trinh-sang-ke-loi-ich-de-lan-toa-iphm-d782591.html