Farmers enjoy watching multi-purpose machines "perform" rice sowing in the fields in Kien Giang

Commitment to project implementation

According to Mr. Le Thanh Tung - Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), "The project of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030" has the general goal of increasing the value of the entire rice chain by 40% by 2030, and the profit margin of rice growers by 50%.

The social impact is that 1 million farming households will be trained and apply sustainable farming. The environmental impact is that it will contribute to environmental protection and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 10%).

Nông dân thích thú xem các cỗ máy đa năng — Demonstration of stages in rice production at the field of Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative. Photo: Hong Cam

On this occasion, a number of businesses and cooperatives signed to participate in the project, and also visited and demonstrated vehicles, machinery, and technology in rice production and exchanged some technical measures for sowing and caring for rice fields...

The Mekong Delta is not only a key rice production area, but also a place where rice is produced for trade and export, so the goal of rice production must be profitable.

Therefore, the project is of particular importance in orienting the transformation of sustainable rice cultivation methods in the Mekong Delta and forming and developing large-scale, stable, long-term concentrated raw material areas, ensuring sustainable and effective farming quality. The project sets a target of reducing input costs by 30%, contributing to reducing rice production costs for farming households by about VND 9,500 billion; increasing the profit margin of rice growers by 50%; contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10%...

"To form the project's production area, the locality needs to reorganize the production system according to the value chain, apply sustainable farming processes to increase value, sustainably develop the rice industry to adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the implementation of Vietnam's international commitments," Mr. Tung added.

Mr. Le Huu Toan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kien Giang province said that the province will implement the project with an area of 200,000 hectares, divided into 2 phases. Phase 1 (2024-2025), focuses on consolidating the existing areas of the sustainable agricultural transformation project in Vietnam (VnSAT Project) of 24,738 hectares and expanding the area outside the VnSAT Project area towards the target of 100,000 hectares by 2025, of which 60,000 hectares will be in 2024.

Phase 2 (2026-2030), specifically identify key areas to establish investment projects to develop new high-quality specialized rice areas to reduce emissions by an additional 100,000 hectares, towards the goal of 200,000 hectares of high-quality and low-emission specialized rice in the province.

The project is being implemented in 12 districts and cities of Kien Giang province, with a total project implementation cost of VND 596,662 billion.

According to Mr. Toan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has currently deployed a pilot model of 50 hectares of rice at Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative (Tan Hoi Commune, Tan Hiep District). It is expected that in August 2024, a pilot model of 10 hectares of rice-shrimp farming will continue to be deployed in An Minh District.

Cooperatives and farmers have high expectations for the project's effectiveness.

At the launching ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Van Huynh - Director of Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative, shared: "We are honored to be chosen as the first unit in the province to launch the project with an area of 50 hectares, with 25 participating households. The application of scientific and technical advances in the fields has long been implemented very effectively by the Cooperative and has received the support of the people, most recently the SRP rice production model, large fields to reduce costs, large fields of organic rice".

To implement the project, Mr. Huynh said that the cooperative members will comply with the initial commitment with the units and service providers that after the 2024 summer-autumn rice harvest, farmers will not burn straw. Households participating in the project will receive support such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides during production; and will be supported in applying mechanization such as cluster seeders, row seeders, drones to spray fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds... "With the existing experience and the determination of the members, the cooperative is determined to effectively implement this project," Mr. Huynh added.

At the vast fields of Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative, more than 200 delegates visited and demonstrated the application of advanced technology in the pilot model of "Rice cultivation to reduce emissions, manage straw, water and fertilizer" in the 2024 autumn-winter crop. Farmers and delegates were extremely excited to witness the modern, multi-purpose machines "performing" in the rice fields.

In which, Saigon Kim Hong Trading and Service Company Limited demonstrated 4 lines of cluster seeders (cluster seeders linked to transplanters; cluster seeders linked to small tillers; cluster seeders linked to large plows; walking cluster seeders). Each line of cluster seeders of Saigon Kim Hong can combine the function of burying fertilizer, so farmers can reduce one step of fertilizing rice.

Present at the demonstration, Mr. Nguyen Van Bay (Tan Hoi commune, Tan Hiep district) said that he and many local farmers were very excited when the 1 million hectare rice project was implemented in the area. "We hope that the project will bring about clear results, helping to increase the value of rice and profits for farmers; especially the purchase of rice at stable prices so that farmers can feel secure in production" - Mr. Bay said.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nong-dan-thich-thu-xem-cac-co-may-da-nang-bieu-dien-sa-lua-tren-dong-ruong-o-kien-giang-20240717173434387.htm