Overcoming obstacles for organic rice production.

QTO - Never before has the issue of restructuring and comprehensively reforming agriculture, especially rice production, been as urgent and pressing as it is now. Fragmented, small-scale rice paddies, with their unsafe and unsustainable farming practices, will gradually be replaced by organic farming methods, forming large-scale, concentrated rice production areas. However, changing long-established mindsets and habits is not an easy task...

Numerous "bottlenecks"

For over 10 years, the My Loc Thuong Agricultural Production, Business and Service Cooperative (My Loc Thuong Cooperative), Le Thuy commune, has been one of the leading cooperatives in implementing the improved SRI rice cultivation technique on 100% of its land. Therefore, for many years, the My Loc Thuong Cooperative has proudly achieved success in eradicating rice blast disease, while farmers in many other localities have struggled to combat it.

With a total area of ​​nearly 270 hectares of rice paddies, the cooperative plans to implement organic rice production on 10 hectares during the upcoming winter-spring season. However, the cooperative is facing numerous challenges in realizing this organic rice farming method.

According to Vo Thanh Dat, Director of My Loc Thuong Cooperative, the biggest problem currently is that farmers are not yet aware of the benefits of organic rice farming, whether it yields high productivity, and how effective it is. First, it is necessary to re-plan the fields, identifying areas suitable for organic rice production for pilot projects. Following this, investment should be made in improving the irrigation infrastructure, especially canals, to ensure a reliable water supply and prevent contamination from pesticide residues in non-organic farming areas. Finally, the most important factor is ensuring that the price of organic products is fair and reflects the farmers' investment.

Farmers in Le Thuy commune harvest the summer-autumn rice crop - Photo: CH

For many cooperatives in rice-growing areas, the issue of organic rice production is not new. After numerous attempts, many models have only remained at the pilot stage. For nearly three years, with the support of organizations and businesses, the Thong Nhat Agricultural Production, Business and Service Cooperative in Truong Ninh commune has applied organic rice cultivation methods to 15 hectares. This is also the second time the cooperative has implemented the model, after a previous failure. The reasons for the failure were incomplete field infrastructure, a shortage of agricultural labor, and the persistence of outdated production practices.

According to Nguyen Duy Vien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thong Nhat Commune Cooperative, in order to cultivate rice organically, in addition to improving the irrigation system and internal field transportation, it is necessary to have support for investing in synchronized mechanization to overcome the current labor shortage in agriculture.

From policy to implementation

Recently, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated March 30, 2026, on the consolidation and concentration of agricultural land associated with promoting mechanization and modernization of production; developing sustainable agricultural, forestry, and fisheries raw material areas according to the orientation of organic, circular, green, and digital agriculture. The goal of the resolution is to consolidate and concentrate agricultural land and develop sustainable agricultural raw material areas.

This will help overcome the problem of scattered, small, and fragmented agricultural land; create conditions for businesses, cooperatives, and farmers to invest in production, apply high technology, organic farming, circular farming, green farming, and digital farming, in order to form large-scale commodity production areas.

Accordingly, from 2026 to 2030, the province will accumulate and concentrate an average of 1,000 hectares of agricultural land each year. By the end of 2030, Quang Tri province will have over 32,000 hectares, with over 70% of the area using high-quality, specialty rice varieties. By 2035, this will reach 40,000 hectares, with over 80% using high-quality, specialty rice varieties. Launched at this time, this "open policy" is expected to resolve many "bottlenecks" for farmers and agriculture in the province.

According to Le Van Tan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Le Thuy commune, besides the lack of interest from farmers in organic rice production, the biggest obstacle for the locality is the small, fragmented, and unconsolidated farming area. Furthermore, while organic rice production requires strict cultivation procedures, the issues of price and consumption have not yet improved, making organic rice production unattractive to farmers.

According to Nguyen Hong Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, localities need to closely follow the province's plan for high-yield, high-quality rice production areas and designate areas for organic rice production. The State will invest comprehensively in transportation and irrigation infrastructure to support production, and provide policies to support the development of organic rice raw material areas, from production, processing, consumption, land consolidation, input materials, certification of organic rice production areas, planting area codes, traceability, and digital maps of raw material areas. This will serve as a database to attract businesses to participate in production and processing linkages, as well as to introduce, promote, and access demanding markets abroad.

Duong Cong Hop

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202606/go-kho-cho-san-xuat-lua-huu-co-4a37a01/