Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Thanh of the People's Committee of Tam Nong District in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap stated yesterday that the district is concentrating on encouraging households in the buffer zone of Tram Chim National Park to increase the area dedicated to ecological rice. This initiative aims to gradually transition to organic production, minimize environmental impact, and support the conservation of natural resources while promoting the protection and development of red-crowned cranes.
These red-crowned cranes, once abundant in the region's Tram Chim National Park, have faced a sharp decline in numbers, primarily due to habitat degradation and environmental pollution.
Recently, the People's Committee of Tam Nong District, Chon Chinh Dong Thap Muoi Green Agriculture Joint Stock Company, Phu Xuan Agricultural Service Cooperative in Phu Duc Commune and Cooperative Group No. 7 in Tan Cong Sinh Commune signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the consumption of ecological rice, in conjunction with efforts to conserve and develop the population of red-crowned cranes.
In the summer-autumn crop, 46 households from the Phu Xuan Agricultural Service Cooperative in Phu Duc Commune and Cooperative Group No. 7 in Tan Cong Sinh Commune engaged in organic and ecological rice cultivation across more than 310 hectares.
By 2032, the goal is to expand this model to encompass over 950 hectares within Block 25 of Phu Duc Commune and Block 43B of Tan Cong Sinh Commune, located in the buffer zone of Tram Chim National Park.
Concurrently, efforts will be made to develop the 'Tam Nong Crane Rice' brand to serve both domestic and international markets. Enhancing the ecological environment through organic agricultural practices in this buffer zone is expected to pave the way for the effective implementation of the 2022–2032 Conservation and Development Project for red-crowned cranes at Tram Chim National Park.
On the same day, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang Province announced that it has registered to participate in the project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030," covering an area of 29,500 hectares.
To successfully carry out the project, Tien Giang Province has conducted numerous training sessions covering the following topics: the technical process for producing high-quality, low-emission rice; the management of straw in line with circular agriculture principles; the "1 must, 5 reductions" approach to rice production; the application of high technology; and the implementation of synchronized mechanization.
The province is executing three models of "Piloting high-quality rice production with reduced emissions in Tien Giang" during the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring crop in Phuoc Trung Commune in Go Cong Dong District, Binh Tan Commune of Go Cong Tay District and Hau My Bac B Commune of Cai Be District, covering an area of 51 hectares with 48 participating households.
As stated by the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang Province, utilizing the cultivation process for high-quality, low-emission rice contributes to a decrease in pests and diseases, thereby reducing the need for spraying by three times per crop.
