Rice varieties adapting to salinity, opening up the development direction of the 'fragrant rice - clean shrimp' chain

BL9 rice variety is being rapidly expanded in Ca Mau thanks to its ability to withstand salt, has few pests and diseases, stable yield and has the potential to build the province's fragrant rice brand.

Few pests, high yield

At the end of 2023, the BL9 rice variety of Ca Mau province was recognized for special circulation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ). Immediately after that, the Provincial Agricultural Seed Center coordinated with localities to put it into production and recorded positive results. In particular, BL9 rice has been developed by cooperatives in the area into a 3-star OCOP product, opening up opportunities to expand the market.

The birth of BL9 rice variety is an important turning point, marking a new success for the agricultural sector of Ca Mau province. Photo: Trong Linh.

The fragrant rice variety BL9 was researched and bred by the Ca Mau Province Agricultural Seed Center from the combination of RVT and OM4900. The growing period is 100 - 105 days, the plant height is 95 - 105cm, the number of solid grains/panicle is 70 - 90 grains, the average yield is 5.5 - 7 tons/ha. BL9 has good resistance to brown planthoppers, blast, stem borers, sheath blight disease and is outstanding in its ability to tolerate 4‰ salinity.

Through many trial production seasons, BL9 has proven to be suitable for the province's ecological conditions, especially the shrimp-rice area. Farmers highly appreciate its productivity, quality and ability to expand production. Mr. Vo Duc Toan (Hong Dan commune) said: "The rice grows strongly, has few pests and diseases, especially rice blast disease has never appeared, the yield of each season is about 800kg/cong".

Mr. Tran Vu Phong (Ca Mau Agricultural Seed Center) shares the characteristics of BL9 rice variety. Photo: Trong Linh.

After being recognized for special circulation, BL9 production scale has increased rapidly to hundreds of hectares, reaching more than 700 hectares in 2024 alone. Many farmers expect this to be a new key variety. Mr. Nguyen Van Truc (Ninh Quoi commune) shared: "This variety produces sticky rice with long-lasting fragrance. If it is recognized and built into the province's fragrant rice brand, farmers will benefit greatly."

Currently, BL9 producing households and cooperatives have signed contracts with many businesses inside and outside the province, helping to stabilize output and increase confidence in the rice variety researched by the province's agricultural sector.

Replication of BL9 rice variety in shrimp-rice area

Implementing the restructuring of the agricultural sector towards added value and sustainable development, Ca Mau province has deployed a pilot model of "Growing BL9 rice variety on shrimp farming land" in many cooperatives. The model has shown positive results and is being replicated.

Since 2024, Thanh Son Cooperative (Vinh My Commune) has started producing, milling and trading BL9 rice. After achieving 3-star OCOP standards, the product has participated in many fairs and reached a wide range of consumers.

Mr. Tran Van Ngo (left), Director of Thanh Son Cooperative, visited the BL9 rice variety production model. Photo: Trong Linh.

Mr. Tran Van Ngo, Director of Thanh Son Cooperative, said: “The cooperative’s BL9 rice is certified by VietGAP, so the product is guaranteed in quality and safety. We are actively promoting and expanding the consumption market, aiming to build the province’s fragrant rice brand.”

Mr. Pham Van Muoi, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau emphasized: “Building a rice brand is an inevitable trend. The province will continue to expand the BL9 rice area, creating conditions for cooperatives to participate in production and build products that meet safety and quality standards.”

With delicious rice quality, good adaptability and suitability for both domestic and export markets, BL9 is expected to become a typical rice brand of Ca Mau province. In the 2024 - 2025 rice - shrimp crop, the province will arrange more than 1,000 hectares to grow BL9 rice variety. This rice variety is salt tolerant, very well adapted to shrimp farming areas, achieving a yield of 6.5 - 7.5 tons/ha.

At Ba Dinh Cooperative (Vinh Loc commune), the 95-hectare pilot model with 57 participating households was supported with 50% of essential materials such as BL9 rice seeds, organic fertilizers, and biological pesticides. Technical staff were assigned to monitor and guide farmers in applying seed-saving sowing techniques, IPM (integrated pest management), "3 reductions, 3 increases", and limiting chemical pesticides.

The final results showed that the profit reached more than 43 million VND/ha, about 8 million VND/ha higher than the control field. Farmers evaluated BL9 as a fragrant variety, easy to cultivate, disease resistant and suitable for shrimp-rice growing areas.

Ca Mau province replicates BL9 rice variety on shrimp farming land. Photo: Trong Linh.

In 2025, the Ca Mau agricultural sector recommended that farmers in the shrimp-rice production area put BL9 into production on 4,600 hectares. Mr. Vo Duc Toan, Director of Hoa Phat Cooperative (Bien Bach commune) said that BL9 has been grown in 4 crops in both salty and fresh areas, with yields of 7 tons/hectare or more. Mr. Toan said that the Cooperative has expanded the BL9 rice production area to 50 hectares in 2025, of which 20 hectares will be organic for export.

Vinh Loc commune also plans to expand the BL9 rice variety production area to 200 hectares in 2025, while moving towards building BL9 rice products that meet OCOP standards, creating a foundation for building the province's fragrant rice brand.

Mr. Pham Van Muoi - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau affirmed: "BL9 is very suitable for shrimp farming areas. The province will orient production according to organic processes, strengthen links with businesses, form large fields and build raw material areas, build a value chain of 'fragrant rice - clean shrimp' that meets export standards".

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/giong-lua-thich-ung-man-mo-huong-phat-trien-chuoi-lua-thom--tom-sach-d784193.html