Rice institute teaches 1,000 delta farmers

Around 1,000 farmers in the Mekong Delta received training in the best rice cultivation and crop protection practices from the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) and US conglomerate DuPont in Can Tho on August 27.

Farmers from Can Tho and the provinces of Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang were taken to experimental fields belonging to the two, and they also held discussions with researchers, agronomists and experts from CLRRI and DuPont.

On the agenda were crop protection technologies, integrated pest management, stewardship principles, proper use of personal protective equipment, label awareness, harmful effects of fake products, and resistance management.

"Empowering farmers through agriculture technology and information is crucial," Dr Ngo Luc Cuong, former principal researcher in plant protection at CLRRI, said. "Farmers should be equipped with knowledge and understanding of how to use crop protection products while minimising environmental impacts.

"The safe use of the products is also an important element underpinning sustainable agriculture," he said.

At the experimental fields, the farmers were taught to clearly identify differences in leaf colour and thickness, durability of the leaves and estimate potential productivity.

"To meet the agricultural productivity challenges in Vietnam, the public and private sectors must work closely together to achieve sustainable solutions," Sittideth Sriprateth, managing director of DuPont Vietnam, said.
"With the extensive knowledge of CLRRI's and DuPont's experts, we have obtained some positive results initially. We will continue to collaborate for further intensive researches."-VNA