Building and developing An Giang rice brand

Farmers participate in a workshop on testing high-quality rice varieties organized by the Center for Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology. Photo: THANH TIEN

From actual needs

As a good farmer and businessman in Vinh Thanh commune, Mr. Nguyen Van My always wants to improve the quality of rice from his own fields. Mr. My shared: “I read newspapers and radio that farmers in other countries also grow rice with special, world- famous varieties. I thought that I also grow rice, so why can't I create delicious rice grains with my own brand of the province, while my hometown is a rice land. Therefore, I want to create delicious rice grains with the An Giang brand.”

With the support of the professional sector and local authorities to implement pilot models, especially the Project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030" (abbreviated as the 1 million hectares of high-quality rice project), he mobilized neighboring farmers to participate in raising the level of An Giang rice in the market. "Delicious rice depends on the variety, but clean rice depends on the grower. Farmers cannot create hybrid rice, but if guided, we will be able to produce clean An Giang rice to supply to the market," said Mr. My.

Previously, businesses in An Giang had affirmed the value of the province's rice in the market, in which Loc Troi Group with the brand Hat Ngoc Troi rice including successful varieties grown in An Giang such as Bac Dau, Tien Nu, Thien Long, purebred Jasmine, Loc Troi 28... has created a certain mark. Currently, Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company is implementing raw material areas with many delicious rice varieties, ensuring the process of the 1 million hectare high-quality rice project.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company Pham Thai Binh said: “We have deployed a raw material area to implement the project of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice in An Giang with an area of about 3,000 hectares in the communes of Binh Giang, Hoa Dien, Binh Son and can increase to 20,000 hectares in the future. Currently, the company is growing many varieties such as ST25, Japonica, Dai Thom 8... to supply the US, Japan, and European markets. Our goal is to build the Trung An clean rice brand grown on An Giang land, helping farmers benefit from producing clean rice.”

Mr. Pham Thai Binh wishes to create conditions to expand the area of high-quality rice growing materials, contributing to raising the level of An Giang rice in the international market. In addition, mobilizing farmers to join with businesses also requires more active participation of local authorities. On the side of farmers, when joining with businesses, it is necessary to ensure the process of cultivating high-quality rice.

Raising the level of rice grains

With the goal of improving the quality of the province's rice, in 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued a project to build and develop the An Giang province rice brand until 2025, with a vision to 2030. As the unit in charge of the rice variety program serving the project, the Department of Science and Technology has created a network of seed production from original to certified, associated with businesses. The Center for Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology has developed many high-quality varieties suitable for the province's soil such as Jasmine 85, Loc Troi 28, AG1, Dai Thom 8, OM5451, Nang Hoa 9, OM18...

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology Phan Van Kien, in addition to the variety program, the department will implement the certification of the "An Giang Rice" brand in 2025, creating a solid legal basis for organizations and individuals to exploit, use and develop the province's rice brand on products such as vermicelli, rice vermicelli, rice cakes, sticky rice, rice flour, etc. The department reviews and updates the regulations on the use of the "An Giang Rice" certification brand to suit the new organizational structure and practical requirements, ensuring stability, consistency and the right direction for the development of the An Giang rice brand.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development actively researched and issued a cultivation program to serve the project of building and developing the An Giang rice brand, meeting the standards of the domestic and export markets. All cultivation stages are standardized, taking the SRP 90-point cultivation standard as the floor score.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Hiep said: “We have advised the Provincial People's Committee to add the technical process of producing high-quality and low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection to the project implementation. This is a new point, helping farmers easily apply when participating in cooperation with enterprises producing high-quality rice. Therefore, more than 300,000 hectares of the province implementing the project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice can completely participate in building and developing the An Giang rice brand effectively.”

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/xay-dung-phat-trien-thuong-hieu-gao-an-giang-a465391.html