"Bottlenecks" that need to be removed in rice production in Phu Thien

(GLO)- Phu Thien Commune is a key rice growing area in the western part of the province with more than 5,000 hectares but has no on-site seed production facility. To have seed sources for production, farmers must buy from An Giang, Tay Ninh, Dak Lak provinces... This "bottleneck" needs to be resolved soon.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyen (Group 9, Phu Thien Commune) said: "Rice here is mainly grown in two crops, and seeds must be purchased from other places, increasing costs while the quality is inconsistent. If there is a rice seed production facility right in the commune, farmers will feel more secure and reduce production costs."

The leaders of Phu Thien Commune People's Committee wish to receive the Ayun Ha Plant Varieties Experimental Station to serve the production of rice seeds for the locality and neighboring communes. Photo: Minh Trung

The project for rice seed production in the period 2025-2030 of Phu Thien commune sets the goal of proactively supplying about 110 tons of rice seeds each year from concentrated production areas, moving towards building a set of high-quality seeds associated with the brand "Phu Thien Rice". The prerequisite to achieve this goal is to have infrastructure for seed production including land, irrigation system, storage and testing area.

In the commune, there is currently the Ayun Ha Plant Varieties Experimental Station under the Plant Varieties Research Center (Department of Agriculture and Environment) which was invested and built more than 20 years ago. The station is conveniently located, near the downstream of the Ayun Ha irrigation project, fertile land, abundant water resources, a field area of ​​about 19 hectares and warehouse facilities and drying yard of about 0.3 hectares. However, the station has not yet fully exploited its potential, while the locality is in great need of land and facilities to deploy rice seed production.

According to Chairman of Phu Thien Commune People's Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan, the station is operating but has not yet fully utilized its available conditions, mainly leasing land to households for rice production or processing for some seed companies, not proactively producing seeds or testing new varieties.

In early 2025, the People's Committee of Phu Thien district (old) submitted a document to the People's Committee of Gia Lai province (old) requesting the transfer of the Ayun Ha Plant Varieties Experimental Station to the district for rice seed production, but it has not been resolved.

“We really want to effectively promote the potential, advantages of the station's facilities and land area, and hope to hand over this facility to serve agricultural development and build the "Phu Thien Rice" brand in the period 2025-2030" - Mr. Tuan said.

Currently, the entire Phu Thien commune has more than 5,000 hectares of rice. If farmers proactively source seeds locally, they will reduce costs, ensure quality, increase productivity, and form a sustainable agriculture that can adapt to climate change. Taking advantage of the existing facilities of the Ayun Ha Plant Varieties Experimental Station helps save new investment costs and effectively use the state budget.

"If we hand over the station to the commune for management, we will invest in equipment and infrastructure to serve rice seed production, meeting the needs of the locality and neighboring communes," Mr. Tuan affirmed.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/diem-nghen-can-thao-go-trong-san-xuat-lua-nuoc-o-phu-thien-post569327.html