Low-emission, high-profit rice farming.

With practical economic and environmental benefits, the Project

Practical benefits

These days, Mr. Ho Van Huong, residing in Tan Hoi commune, is delighted because his rice crop, participating in the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project, is thriving. Investment costs have decreased significantly compared to traditional farming methods. “I participated with 2 hectares in this production season. Previously, in the 2025 summer-autumn crop, I reduced the amount of seeds by two-thirds, fertilizer by nearly 50%, reduced the use of pesticides, reduced the amount of water supplied to the rice, and reduced lodging during harvest. As a result, I earned a profit of about 40 million VND/hectare, an increase of about 35-45% compared to traditional farming methods,” Mr. Huong said.

Recognizing the practical benefits of applying the farming process according to the Project, Mr. Huong independently implemented it on an additional 6 hectares of land outside the model during this production season. This shows that farmers have changed their mindset, boldly applying new techniques with the goal of reducing costs and increasing profits in a context where rice prices on the market are constantly fluctuating.

The model of rice production under the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project is receiving increasing attention. Photo: THANH TIEN

Having participated in the project in An Giang over several production seasons, Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company (Trung An Company) has established linkages for the production of high-quality rice in the communes of Binh Giang, Hoa Dien, Binh Son, etc., covering an area of ​​approximately 3,000 hectares.

Mr. Pham Thai Binh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Trung An Joint Stock Company, stated: “Our goal is to work with farmers to produce clean rice to conquer the global market. In fact, farmers in An Giang have the necessary skills and techniques to meet the cultivation process of the Project. Clean rice bearing the Trung An brand has already entered demanding markets such as the EU, Japan, and the Middle East. Therefore, I am very confident that the company can have a long-term partnership with farmers, contributing to the agricultural sector's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

To enable the company to participate more effectively in the Project, Mr. Pham Thai Binh suggested that state management agencies should quickly approve projects and create a legal basis to help businesses link with farmers and cooperatives. Currently, the company has the capacity to cultivate 20,000 hectares of high-quality rice and this will increase in the following years. Therefore, the company is very eager to have legal obstacles removed and to expand its area of ​​participation in the Project.

Long-term goals

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Hiep, the entire province has implemented 58 models of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation. In reality, most farmers support the project due to its economic efficiency, having reduced costs by 5 million VND/ha and achieving higher yields of 200-500 kg/ha.

“Farmers prioritize profit, and the Project meets this need. However, the important goal of the Project is to guide farmers to implement alternating wet and dry farming practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to data recorded at the model farms, farming according to the Project's procedures helps reduce emissions by 6-8 tons of CO2/ha. This is the basis for the agricultural sector to replicate these models in the future,” Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep emphasized.

However, Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep also suggested that the agricultural sector needs to focus on mobilizing and guiding farmers in handling rice straw after harvest. Moving forward, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct the implementation of scientific and technological solutions and support policies for handling rice straw after harvest, based on Government Decree No. 112/2024/ND-CP, which details regulations on rice cultivation land.

Speaking at the conference summarizing the pilot model of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice production in the 2025 summer-autumn crop in the Mekong Delta, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ngo Cong Thuc affirmed that in 2025, An Giang will produce over 1.3 million hectares of rice, an increase of 2,800 hectares compared to the same period, with an estimated output of about 8.8 million tons. This confirms the agricultural potential of the province, especially the implementation of the Project on 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice. At the same time, it also poses many difficulties for the locality, especially with areas that have not yet applied high-quality rice cultivation processes. Currently, most farmers still maintain traditional farming practices with high investment costs, affecting profits when the market fluctuates.

“In the province's draft plan, An Giang will have approximately 351,000 hectares participating in high-quality rice production, accounting for over 35% of the area implementing the 1 million hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project according to Decision No. 1490/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. Therefore, we continue to direct the agricultural sector and localities to strengthen scientific and technological solutions, and promptly advise on policies to support farmers so that they can confidently participate in the project, contributing to affirming the value of An Giang rice in domestic and international markets,” Mr. Ngo Cong Thuc informed.

Implementing the cultivation process under the Project for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice, An Giang province has over 150,000 hectares applying 3 criteria, over 110,000 hectares applying 4 criteria, and over 43,000 hectares applying 5 criteria. Simultaneously, the province has implemented 89 demonstration models, totaling approximately 2,000 hectares, mobilizing the participation of stakeholders in the rice production chain.

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/trong-lua-phat-thai-thap-thu-loi-nhuan-cao-a462132.html