A workshop was held in Can Tho City to review the pilot project ‘Sustainable Development of One Million High-Quality Rice Hectare Project with Low Emissions Linked to Green Growth in the Mekong Delta Region by 2030’ (the One Million Hectares Project).
The One Million Hectares Project is being implemented in 12 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region. Before widespread implementation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development decided to carry out pilot fields in five localities including Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, and Dong Thap. Among these, Can Tho was the first locality to adopt the new rice variety during the Summer-Autumn crop (in early April 2024) on an area of 50 hectares in Thuan Tien Cooperative in Thanh An Commune of Vinh Thanh District.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc He of the People’s Committee of Can Tho City praised the cooperative and farmers for their diligence, creativity, and excellent implementation of the project’s criteria.
The model fully meets the criteria of the One Million Hectares Project, including the use of certified rice varieties provided by the Mekong Delta Rice Institute at a dosage of 60 kg per ha, direct seeding combined with organic fertilizer application, water-saving technology alternating wetting and drying (AWD), plant-based approach site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), integrated pest management (IPM), and mechanized harvesting followed by straw use for mushroom cultivation or organic fertilizer production.
The model results are the foundation and basis for Can Tho's agriculture sector to widely implement the One Million Hectare Project as committed, said Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc He.
Senior expert Nguyen Van Hung at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), said that reducing the amount of rice seeds to 60kg per ha is equivalent to reducing seed costs by VND1.2 million per ha, fertilizer costs by VND0.7 million a ha. Yield reached 6.3-6.5 tons a ha, higher than the traditional cultivation method which brings 5.8-6.1 tons a hectate.
In terms of greenhouse gas emission reduction, the model reduced 2-6 tons of CO2 a ha compared to the traditional way of planting rice.
Chairman Cao Duc Phat of IRRI's Board of Directors, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that with the successful results of the pilot implementation, it is expected that the pilot project will be spread throughout the Mekong Delta region, helping farmers have higher incomes and better lives. At the same time, it will fulfill Vietnam's international commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the global fight against climate change.
At the preliminary summary ceremony, a contract was signed between Thuan Tien Cooperative and an enterprise to buy fresh paddy products for three consecutive crops (Summer-Autumn 2024, Autumn-Winter 2024 and Winter-Spring 2024-2025).
