Project to cultivate 1 million hectares of high-quality rice: An agricultural revolution for the Mekong Delta.

(Chinhphu.vn) - On September 15th, in An Giang, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment organized a conference to summarize the model of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice production in the Summer-Autumn crop of 2025 in the Mekong Delta.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam speaks at the conference - Photo: VGP/LS

A successful start to the new farming model.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), since the beginning of the year, the Ministry has organized meetings and surveyed localities to implement 11 models of high-quality, low-emission rice production in 5 provinces of the Mekong Delta, as part of the 1 million hectare project.

The objective is to evaluate emission-reducing rice cultivation practices and test the MRV process in the Summer-Autumn 2025 crop season to gain experience and refine the process before seeking approval. The Ministry has also collaborated with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the World Bank to train technical staff on the MRV process, collect farmers' baseline data, create field maps, and monitor water levels.

The specific results of the Summer-Autumn 2025 crop models show a 50-65% reduction in seeds; an average 31.3% reduction in fertilizer use; a 1-3 times reduction in the number of pesticide sprayings; 7 out of 10 models ensured two water drainage cycles; 4 out of 11 models successfully drained water three times; and 100% of the models collected straw from the fields.

Evaluating the implementation of the Project's objectives, the scale reached 354,839 ha/180,000 ha, achieving 197%; regarding sustainable farming: reducing seed sowing from 70-100 kg/ha; reducing nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation water by 20%; and 100% of the area applying at least one criterion in the process; VietGAP covered 7,493 ha, organic 246 ha, and food safety 5,659 ha.

Regarding production reorganization: 100% of farmers are organized into cooperatives, with input and consumption linkages; mechanization: 100% of land preparation and sowing (drone, row sowing, etc.); over 200,000 households apply at least one criterion in the process; environmental protection and green growth reach 70%; straw collection in the winter-spring crop is achieved; additional income increases by 13.4% or more; 5,269 hectares are certified as low-emission green Vietnamese rice, equivalent to 19,200 tons of rice.

An Giang: A bright spot in the implementation of the Project

According to Ngo Cong Thuc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province: In 2025, An Giang's agricultural production will continue to be stable and develop well. Accordingly, the growth rate of the agricultural sector in the first nine months is estimated at 3.71%, and the whole year is likely to reach 3.96%, making a significant contribution to An Giang's GRDP growth rate of 8.5% for the whole year of 2025.

Following the merger, An Giang is the leading province in the country in terms of rice cultivation area and production, with significant development potential. For the rice production sector, An Giang is projected to cultivate over 1.3 million hectares of rice in 2025 (an increase of 2,800 hectares compared to the same period), with an estimated rice production of approximately 8.8 million tons.

According to the province's draft plan, An Giang province will have approximately 351,000 hectares of rice participating in the Project, accounting for more than 35% of the rice area implemented under the Project as stipulated in Decision No. 1490/QD-TTg dated November 27, 2023, of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice monoculture associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030".

During the recent Summer-Autumn crop season, An Giang province piloted two rice production models using a standardized process on 1 million hectares in Binh Thanh Dong and Tan Hoi communes, yielding positive results. Implementing this model helped reduce average costs by 4.12 million VND/ha, increase yield by 0.78 tons/ha, and increase profits by 5-8 million VND/ha compared to the control group; the model also helped reduce CO₂ emissions by 7.56–8.11 tons equivalent/ha.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung: IRRI has directly provided technical support to 9 out of 11 pilot models with a total area of ​​over 450 hectares, creating a solid scientific foundation and potential for nationwide replication in the near future - Photo: VGP/LS

Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, a senior expert from IRRI, stated that IRRI plays a key role in the 2024-2025 phase of the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project in six Mekong Delta provinces: Can Tho, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, An Giang, Ca Mau, and Tay Ninh. With a strong commitment to strategic cooperation, IRRI has directly provided technical support to 9 out of 11 pilot models, covering a total area of ​​over 450 hectares. This not only creates a solid scientific foundation but also demonstrates the potential for nationwide replication in the near future.

Based on lessons learned from practical experience, IRRI shares three strategic cooperation directions for the future.

That is, to perfect the scientific data system by integrating field experience with information from 10,000 farmers, and to standardize the 6-step farming technique process to optimize adaptation to climate change.

Developing a digital tool ecosystem with the EasyFarm application connecting the value chain, a Vietnamese rice platform integrating AI-Chatbot to support farmers, and the ViRiCert certification system for assessing low-emission green rice.

Implementing the MRV system through advanced SPOT monitoring technology, while simultaneously enhancing the capacity of local surveying, reporting, and assessment staff, aims to build a smart and sustainable agricultural system.

Mr. Pham Thai Binh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Company (Can Tho), emphasized: "The project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice is a breakthrough solution for the stable and sustainable development of the rice industry. Implementing the project through production linkages between businesses and farmers will also increase income for both farmers and businesses."

According to Mr. Binh, after nearly two years of pilot implementation, rice cultivation in Vietnam has reduced input costs by 30%, while increasing productivity by at least 10% (500-1,000 kg/ha), resulting in an average increase in farmers' income of 10 million VND/ha/year for two crops. He proposed that the Government soon approve the projects under the Scheme so that businesses, cooperatives, and farmers have a basis for linkage, and banks have a basis for lending capital.

Chairman of Loc Troi Group, Huynh Van Thon, shared his thoughts at the conference - Photo: VGP/LS

Changing mindsets, moving towards sustainability.

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loc Troi Group, Huynh Van Thon, stated: "After July 1st, with the establishment of a two-tiered government system, businesses and people have realized that the government is closer to the people. This promotes a closer bond between the government, businesses, and people in implementing the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project."

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loc Troi Group believes that all parties need to develop a specific action plan between the commune, businesses, and farmers to accelerate the implementation of the Project in localities. "We are committed to accompanying farmers in successfully implementing this Project, contributing to the overall development and prosperity of the people," Mr. Huynh Van Thon affirmed, while also suggesting that banks become an integral part of the production chain, sharing profits and risks with businesses and the people.

"The key issue in the successful implementation of this project is to promote the synchronized mechanization of large-scale production processes to achieve increasingly higher efficiency," Mr. Huynh Van Thon emphasized.

Evaluating the results of the pilot project on 1 million hectares of high-quality specialized rice cultivation, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam emphasized: After more than two years of implementation, it can now be affirmed that the pilot project on 1 million hectares of high-quality specialized rice cultivation has been successful. Accordingly, practical evidence shows that its implementation has resulted in increased productivity, increased profits, reduced costs, and reduced emissions.

"In particular, the agricultural production mindset of farmers has changed dramatically, and the combination of promoting mechanization in the production process has brought about clear results," Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam said.

Le Son

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/de-an-1-trieu-ha-lua-chat-luong-cao-cuoc-cach-mang-nong-nghiep-cho-dbscl-102250915134053774.htm