The One Million Hectares Project, focused on high-quality, low-emission rice production, has shown dramatic improvements in its initial phase, according to a conference held today in An Giang.
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the conference reviewed the project’s performance during the summer-autumn 2025 crop. The pilot program spanned 11 models across six provinces and cities, engaging 355 farming households and covering a total of 543.5 hectares. All participants adopted the Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) process.
Key findings presented at the conference revealed impressive gains:
- Higher Yields, Lower Costs: Participating farmers achieved an average yield of 6.48 tons per hectare, an increase of 0.51 tons compared to traditional methods. Simultaneously, production costs were slashed by VND1.7 million–VND4.9 million (US$185.75) per hectare, leading to unit production costs of VND2,820–VND4,760 per kg of fresh paddy.
- Significant Profit Increase: The project delivered a major financial boost, with average profits soaring to VND14.5 million–VND36.3 million per hectare. This represents a profit increase of VND4.6 million–VND15.8 million per hectare over non-model fields.
- Sustainable Farming Practices: The initiative also championed sustainable agriculture. Farmers reduced seed use by 50 percent–65 percent, cut nitrogen fertilizer use by an average of 31.3 percent, and reduced pesticide applications by up to three times. Water use was also significantly reduced, meeting key emission reduction goals.
- Waste to Value: A key component of the project was the full utilization of rice straw. All straw was either sold for profit or used for composting and soil enrichment.
Vice Chairman Ngo Cong Thuc of the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee, highlighted his province's significant role in the project. "After administrative consolidation, An Giang contributes 351,000 hectares to this project, accounting for a massive 35 percent of the total planned area," he said.
An Giang's two pilot models, implemented in Binh Thanh Dong and Tan Hoi communes, showcased the project's potential. These models reduced average costs by VND4.12 million per hectare, boosted yields by 0.78 tons per hectare, and increased profits by VND5 million–VND8 million per hectare. In a major win for the environment, the models also cut carbon emissions by 7.56–8.11 tons of CO2 per hectare.
The Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People’s Committee also highlighted several challenges. While production costs under the project have decreased, farmers' profits remain low because input costs are rising faster than rice prices. In addition, there is still a lack of highly effective technologies for low-emission rice production, and significant difficulties persist in developing low-emission rice branding—especially in identifying leading enterprises to spearhead participation.
Deputy Director Le Chi Thien of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap Province shared further difficulties encountered during project implementation. Irrigation infrastructure remains incomplete, complicating water management. The low-emission rice value chain is not yet firmly established and remains highly dependent on market fluctuations, creating uncertainty for farmers' outputs.
Moreover, the post-harvest straw market remains underdeveloped, limiting incentives for farmers to remove straw from the fields.
Regarding financing, Chairman Huynh Van Thon of Loc Troi Group suggested that banks ought to be a fundamental part of the project’s ecosystem. Given that this is a large-scale production model dependent on synchronized mechanization, the active involvement of financial institutions is crucial.
In closing the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam highlighted that the pilot models of the project have yielded clear results such as decreased production costs, increased yields and profits, along with significant reductions in emissions.
Equally significant, the mindset of farmers towards production has positively evolved—favoring large-scale cultivation, enhanced adoption of mechanization and digital technologies, and stronger connections within the value chain.
“These outcomes confirm that the pilot phase of the One Million Hectares Project has been both successful and effective,” affirmed Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam.
The Deputy Minister requested the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, in coordination with relevant units, to finalize the draft sustainable cultivation protocol and complete the MRV process evaluation by October, ensuring timely implementation for the upcoming winter–spring crop.
At the local level, he urged training for commune leaders overseeing pilot models to deepen understanding of the project, prompt approval of enterprise-linked initiatives, and mobilization of investment in utilization straw.
According to plan, in the winter–spring crop, the Mekong Delta will cultivate 5,194 hectares under the One Million Hectares Project. The total planned area applying Cultivation Protocol 145 (Technical Guidelines for High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Production in the Mekong Delta) will reach nearly 400,000 hectares.
