The double benefits of rice farming reduce emissions.

(KGO) - By growing high-quality, low-emission rice, farmers save on production costs, increase profits, and gain additional income from selling carbon credits.

REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS

Entering its second rice crop season under the sustainable development project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 (the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project), Kien Giang has attracted many cooperatives to participate. The emission-reduction farming processes in the project have proven effective, helping farmers reduce costs and increase profits. Farmers' awareness of green and clean production is also steadily improving.

In Hon Dat district (Kien Giang province), in 2025, in addition to the pilot area for the 1 million-hectare high-quality rice project at two cooperatives, using funds from Government Decree 112/2024/ND-CP on supporting rice cultivation land, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has widely implemented emission-reduction farming processes for 24 cooperatives, with a total area of ​​8,000 hectares.

Mr. Huynh Van Huyen, residing in Nguyen Van Hanh hamlet, My Thuan commune (Hon Dat district), checks the water level in the delta using a mobile phone application.

According to Duong Huy Binh, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Hon Dat District, the emission-reduction production process is very suitable for the district's production situation under current climate change conditions. Farmers reduce the amount of seeds sown to 70 kg/ha, apply comprehensive mechanization from land preparation to harvesting; use fertilizers economically and rationally; and use biological pesticides to protect the environment. In addition, farmers properly keep field diaries, monitor water levels and control water according to the principle of alternating flooding and drying to reduce emissions…

Evaluating the production results in the 2024-2025 winter-spring crop season, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Hon Dat district, Duong Huy Binh, said: “The emission-reducing farming process helps farmers save maximum production costs, contributing to increased profits. Estimated production costs are reduced by about 3.5 million VND/ha, with an average rice yield of 11.2 tons/ha.”

Regarding the 18.8 hectares of rice fields applying emission-reduction farming practices in the 2024-2025 winter-spring crop, Mr. Huynh Van Huyen, residing in Nguyen Van Hanh hamlet, My Thuan commune (Hon Dat district), said: “This rice crop has very low production costs, less than 3 million VND per hectare. The rice plants are healthy, strong, have good tillering, and are less susceptible to pests and diseases, with an estimated yield of over 1 ton per hectare. With the current price of Japanese rice variety DS 1 being bought by traders at 7,700 VND/kg, the estimated profit is over 40 million VND per hectare.”

BENEFIT FROM SELLING CARBON CREDITS

In addition to support from the government and scientists in terms of infrastructure investment and technology transfer, farmers also receive payments from many businesses for selling carbon credits during their emission-reducing farming practices.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Director of Tan Thuan Agricultural Cooperative in My Thuan commune, said: "In the 2024 summer-autumn crop season, the cooperative had 70 hectares of rice fields that received carbon credit payments from Net Zero Carbon Company in collaboration with BSB Nanotech Company."

Farmers in Hon Dat district, along with provincial agricultural extension officers, exchanged farming techniques in the fields.

At the end of the rice harvest, the company will analyze and evaluate the amount of emissions reduced on each plot of land through a satellite monitoring system. After calculating the emission reductions, the company will pay farmers carbon credits at a rate of $15 per credit. With this approach, in the 2024 summer-autumn rice crop, in addition to profits from selling rice, farmers will also have an additional income of approximately 2.5 million VND/ha from selling carbon credits.

Mr. Tran Van Khoa, a member of Tan Thuan Agricultural Cooperative, said: “The positive signals from the first crop, when we received money from the sale of carbon credits, attracted the attention of cooperative members. For the 2024-2025 winter-spring crop, cooperative members eagerly registered to participate in this model. To date, the cooperative has more than 70 households registered to implement reduced-emission rice cultivation, covering an area of ​​over 700 hectares. It is expected that by the end of April 2025, Net Zero Carbon Company will pay the carbon credits for the winter-spring crop to the cooperative.”

Text and photos: THUY TRANG

Source: https://www.baokiengiang.vn/kinh-te/loi-ich-kep-tu-trong-lua-giam-phat-thai-25388.html