Sticky rice is a "bright spot".

The IR4625 glutinous rice, also known as round-grain glutinous rice or glutinous rice 97, is currently ripening. In the Duc Linh fields, many farmers are harvesting their rice and traders are buying it as soon as it's harvested. The price of glutinous rice is currently 1,000-1,500 VND/kg higher than regular rice, equivalent to 5,600-5,800 VND/kg and 7,000 VND/kg respectively, so glutinous rice farmers are very happy...

During the peak of the summer-autumn rice harvest season, rice prices have plummeted dramatically, reaching only 4,800 VND/kg, half the price of the winter-spring crop. As a result, most farmers are barely making a profit from this season's harvest. Dang Ngu, a farmer in Nghi Duc commune who is currently using a combine harvester, stated that with such low prices, most farmers are only breaking even, or at best, just making a small profit. While rice farmers are experiencing more sadness than joy amidst the low prices, there is a bright spot: in the fields stretching from Hoai Duc and Duc Linh down to Nam Thanh, Dong Kho, and Tanh Linh, those growing glutinous rice are making a profit. The reason is that glutinous rice prices remain higher than regular rice prices.

Mr. Dang Van Binh, from Hoai Duc commune, who is harvesting 15 hectares of glutinous rice with two varieties, IR4625 and round-grained glutinous rice, said: “I have a contract with Cong Thanh Agricultural Cooperative to grow glutinous rice for many years. From seed supply to output, the cooperative provides and guarantees the purchase, and the selling price follows the general domestic market, so I feel very secure. IR 4625 glutinous rice is currently selling for 5,600 VND/kg, and 97 glutinous rice is nearly 7,000 VND/kg. Although the price is not as high as in previous seasons, compared to growing regular rice, the profit is still higher…”

According to Mr. Binh, growing glutinous rice is not difficult, but it must be produced according to a process to ensure high-quality grains. The cooperative determines the purchase price based on the condition of the harvested glutinous rice field: 90% ripe grains will be assessed as below the required quality for export and therefore have a lower price, while 97% or more ripe grains will have a higher price and are always encouraged and given preferential treatment by the cooperative.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Duc Linh Commune, said: "Not only the People's Committee of Duc Linh Commune but also other communes in the region have collaborated with Cong Thanh Agricultural Cooperative for many years to implement the model of high-quality rice production, cultivating round-grain glutinous rice and IR 4625, 4626 varieties on an area of several hundred hectares. To increase farmers' income, the commune has planned to restructure the agricultural sector, forming a high-quality rice and glutinous rice production area, and developing improved intensive cultivation techniques for glutinous rice adapted to climate change to replicate it into a high-quality rice and glutinous rice production area for the locality. To achieve this goal, the commune has invited several seed production units, agricultural product purchasing businesses, and scientists to collaborate on demonstration models of new rice varieties for farmers to participate in and learn from. This is gradually changing farmers' mindset in production through propaganda and mobilization, helping people to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of the methods." This is a key task in the socio-economic development of our commune, with rice and glutinous rice being the main crops.

According to Cong Thanh Agricultural Cooperative, the collaboration among communes to build and introduce production models applying science and technology has been very effective. It helps farmers apply these technologies to production and expand the cultivated area in their fields. Furthermore, the cooperative obtains agricultural products, especially high-quality glutinous rice varieties, for export, creating a stable market for farmers. Currently, from Tanh Linh to Hoai Duc, there are approximately 300 households cultivating about 500 hectares of various glutinous rice varieties, with an average yield of 6-7 tons/hectare, and some households achieving 8-9 tons/hectare. Profits from glutinous rice cultivation range from 15-30 million VND/hectare, depending on the season. According to the plan, the cooperative will expand the cultivated area in the near future.

According to many farmers, growing glutinous rice using a process equivalent to growing high-quality rice has the advantage of guaranteed product sales, higher profits than growing regular rice, and protection from price manipulation by traders.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/diem-sang-lua-nep-389740.html