Mr. Nguyen Van Doi - Chairman of the Board of Directors, Director of Binh Thanh Agricultural Service Cooperative (Dong Thap) - said that the price of urea fertilizer has exceeded the mark of 900,000 VND/bag (50kg), an increase of about 300,000 VND compared to the previous crop; fertilizers such as DAP and NPK have also simultaneously increased.
Not only fertilizers, gasoline and oil prices and transportation costs are also at high levels, pushing production costs up. Even the flower and ornamental plant sector cannot avoid the impact. Mr. Bui Ngoc Dang - Director of Tan Duong Flower and ornamental plant Service Cooperative - said: "Transportation costs have increased from 450,000 VND/ton to about 600,000 VND/ton, putting more pressure on gardeners.
Faced with cost pressure, the Cooperative supports farmers to apply science and technology to reduce input costs. Mr. Bui Ngoc Dang shared: "Instead of each household transporting themselves, the Cooperative stands out to collect goods and coordinate general transportation to reduce costs.
This model is being replicated by many localities such as An Giang and Vinh Long, creating a positive effect in adapting to material price fluctuations.
According to experts, to build a sustainable agriculture, it is not only necessary to stop at cutting costs but also to change production thinking synchronously with a long-term strategy. The focus is on applying science and technology to reduce input costs. Mr. Nguyen Van Doi said: "We train farmers in integrated pest management techniques (IPM), balanced fertilization according to models '1 must 5 reductions', '3 reductions 3 increases'... to save costs and limit pests and diseases due to protein surplus".
Mr. Cao Tho Truong - Deputy Director of Binh Thanh Cooperative - emphasized: "We are promoting guidance on the'4 right' process in the use of pesticides and especially recommend only spraying pesticides when rice is over 40 days old". These solutions not only help farmers save costs but also limit the abuse of fertilizers and pesticides, which have negative impacts on the environment and the quality of agricultural products.
According to M.Sc. Nguyen Phuoc Tuyen - former Director of Dong Thap Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, international studies show that optimizing inputs through science and technology and strengthening production linkages is the key to improving agriculture's resilience to market fluctuations. Reality in many localities also shows that households participating in cooperatives, complying with technical procedures, often have lower costs and more stable profits compared to small-scale production.
