According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang province, in the first 9 months of 2024, the whole province planted 337,874 hectares of rice, an increase of nearly 2.3% over the same period in 2023. To date, 332,736 hectares have been harvested, with an output of about 2.15 million tons (an increase of nearly 5.1% over the same period).
Rice consumption is quite favorable, rice prices increased from 500 - 3,500 VND/kg compared to the same period. In the 2023 - 2024 Winter-Spring crop, 107 companies, businesses and traders participated in product consumption linkages from the beginning of the crop, with a total area of 28,355 hectares, an increase of more than 6,924 hectares compared to the same period. The average profit of the 2023-2024 Winter-Spring rice crop reached over 36 million VND/ha, an increase of 33.8% compared to the 2022-2023 Winter-Spring crop.
According to Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nha - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang province, in 2024, the agricultural sector will continue to implement rice production models towards safety, improving quality and value, and applying mechanization in production.
In addition, the province has also successfully implemented the pilot model of the Project on Sustainable Development of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030 and deployed the pilot model of Rice cultivation to reduce emissions, straw, water and fertilizer management in Soc Trang province.
Mr. Truong Van Hung - Director of Hung Loi Agricultural Cooperative (Long Phu district, Soc Trang province) - said that in the Summer-Autumn crop of 2024, the Cooperative has 50 hectares of pilot high-quality rice cultivation, reducing emissions with 46 participating households, the rice variety selected for cultivation is ST25. The yield is from 6.5 - 7 tons/ha. The rice is contracted by the enterprise to be purchased at a price of 10,800 - 11,000 VND/kg, 2,300 VND/kg higher than the same period, after deducting costs, the profit is over 50 million VND/ha.
“When farmers participate in high-quality rice cultivation, emissions are reduced, and total input costs are reduced by 10-15% due to reduced seeds, fertilization, and pesticide spraying. As a result, profits increase by more than 12% compared to production areas outside the model," said Mr. Hung.
Currently, Soc Trang province is implementing the Project on production and development of specialty rice in the period of 2022 - 2025. With the goal of developing the brand of specialty rice products (mainly ST varieties) in the direction of safety, environmental friendliness, increasing production value per unit area, contributing to increasing income for rice-growing households, aiming at safe and sustainable agricultural development.
The leader of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang province informed that, of the total area of more than 337,800 hectares of rice sown by the province this year, the area of specialty and high-quality rice accounts for 94.53% (higher than the level set by the Resolution of 93.37%); the output of specialty and high-quality rice accounts for 94.53%.
