A bumper Year
After a year of implementation, the Project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation" in the Mekong Delta has brought positive results in both economy and environment.
The models in the 5 provinces help reduce production costs by 8.2 - 24.2%, save seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water, and increase productivity by 2.4 - 7%. Farmers' income increased by 12 - 50%, and rice output was guaranteed by enterprises at higher prices. This model also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 2 - 12 tons of CO2/ha.
Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy assessed that after more than a year of implementation with a methodical, responsible and synchronous approach, the Project has achieved positive results, affirming its correctness, effectiveness and feasibility. One of the biggest marks is the strong change in thinking and awareness of the political system, business community and people towards the goal of sustainable development of the Vietnamese rice industry.
Bottlenecks to identify
Despite achieving initial positive results, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment assessed that the implementation of the Project still faces many difficulties, such as uneven awareness among localities, excessive focus on carbon credits without focusing on sustainable production, slow-progressing irrigation infrastructure, limited awareness of businesses and farmers, weak production linkages, and limited investment resources.
Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho Duong Tan Hien said that the city has more than 70,000 hectares of rice land, of which 48,000 hectares of the project, concentrated in 3 districts of Thoi Lai, Red Flag and Vinh Thanh. However, the implementation of the project has difficulty due to incomplete infrastructure, straw collection activities have not met the needs and links between farmers and cooperatives. Can Tho will prioritize the problem of credit policies and technical infrastructure, especially the irrigation system, in order to expand the area and improve the quality of the project implementation.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kien Giang province Le Huu Toan also emphasized the importance of infrastructure in organizing production and responding to climate change, and proposed strengthening consumption linkages between farmers and businesses.
Breakthrough year
At the conference to review 1 year of implementing 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", Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Do Duc Duy emphasized that 2025 is the year of acceleration and breakthrough to complete the socio-economic development plan and the agricultural sector.
To make the Project more effective, the Minister requested localities to urgently approve the Project/Project and issue support policies suitable to local conditions.
Localities need to allocate funding to implement the Project in 2025 and the following years, prioritize investment in upgrading irrigation systems, developing water-saving irrigation models, supporting emission reduction from local budgets and integrated capital sources. At the same time, improve warehouse infrastructure, logistics, and add these tasks to the 2026-2030 medium-term public investment plan. It is necessary to build and replicate the model of linking enterprises - cooperatives - farmers according to the value chain, while strengthening propaganda to raise awareness of sustainable rice production and environmental protection.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Do Duc Duy suggested that the State Bank of Vietnam direct credit institutions to provide sufficient preferential capital, creating favorable conditions for businesses, cooperatives and farmers to access loans to implement a model of high-quality, low-emission rice production.
