Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta came in for much praise for increasingoutput by more than a million tonnes this year as targeted by theGovernment at a recent review conference.
Speaking at the conference on Oct. 28 in Hau Giang province whichalso discussed plans for the next rice crop, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong admitted: "Early thisyear, the target seemed hard to reach due to challenges like erraticclimate."
However, output in the southern region was 25.2million tonnes, with the delta accounting for more than 23 milliontonnes, 1.52 million tonnes higher than last year.
The achievement had been due to the recent implementation of the large-scale rice field model in the delta, he said.
Under the model, land was pooled and hundreds of farming households andbusinesses co-operate to grow crops. In the delta, more than 6,400households farmed a total of around 8,000ha to grow the winter-springand summer-autumn rice crops this year.
The advantage ofthis model was that businesses help the farmers by providing them withseeds, fertilisers, irrigation, advanced technologies, and modernfarming techniques, thus helping reduce production costs and improveproductivity and quality, and by selling their products.
The businesses benefit by having long-term suppliers.
"Without large-scale paddy fields, the Mekong Delta farmers would continue to be poor," Bong said.
The model should be expanded to other regions while the delta needed toimplement the model on an area of 50,000ha in 2012 and 100,000ha in2013, he said, adding it would greatly enhance the Government's newrural development plan.
Pham Van Du, deputy director ofthe Cultivation Department, said the new model, which met VietGAP GoodAgricultural Practices standards, attracted businesses and farmers.
Rice output and exports had been good, helping farmers earn profits.New high-quality rice varieties had been developed and used, increasingyields, he added.
Vietnam 's rice exports are likely to top 7 million tonnes this year.
But Pham Van Bay, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, saidwhile Vietnam has the opportunity to overtake Thailand in riceexports next year, it is more important to make exports sustainable.
"The target is to develop a national trademark for Vietnamese rice and achieve GlobalGAP standards."
VFA estimates rice exports next year to be 6.5 – 7 million tonnes. Butit worries that too many businesses have been licensed to export, makingthe domestic rice market chaotic.
The Ministry ofIndustry and Trade needs to carefully review the list of businessesregistered for rice trading and export, Bay said.
NguyenVan Dong, director of the Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said many challenges still needs resolving, including poorpreservation after harvest and lack of close ties between theGovernment, scientists, farmers, and businesses./.
Speaking at the conference on Oct. 28 in Hau Giang province whichalso discussed plans for the next rice crop, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong admitted: "Early thisyear, the target seemed hard to reach due to challenges like erraticclimate."
However, output in the southern region was 25.2million tonnes, with the delta accounting for more than 23 milliontonnes, 1.52 million tonnes higher than last year.
The achievement had been due to the recent implementation of the large-scale rice field model in the delta, he said.
Under the model, land was pooled and hundreds of farming households andbusinesses co-operate to grow crops. In the delta, more than 6,400households farmed a total of around 8,000ha to grow the winter-springand summer-autumn rice crops this year.
The advantage ofthis model was that businesses help the farmers by providing them withseeds, fertilisers, irrigation, advanced technologies, and modernfarming techniques, thus helping reduce production costs and improveproductivity and quality, and by selling their products.
The businesses benefit by having long-term suppliers.
"Without large-scale paddy fields, the Mekong Delta farmers would continue to be poor," Bong said.
The model should be expanded to other regions while the delta needed toimplement the model on an area of 50,000ha in 2012 and 100,000ha in2013, he said, adding it would greatly enhance the Government's newrural development plan.
Pham Van Du, deputy director ofthe Cultivation Department, said the new model, which met VietGAP GoodAgricultural Practices standards, attracted businesses and farmers.
Rice output and exports had been good, helping farmers earn profits.New high-quality rice varieties had been developed and used, increasingyields, he added.
Vietnam 's rice exports are likely to top 7 million tonnes this year.
But Pham Van Bay, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, saidwhile Vietnam has the opportunity to overtake Thailand in riceexports next year, it is more important to make exports sustainable.
"The target is to develop a national trademark for Vietnamese rice and achieve GlobalGAP standards."
VFA estimates rice exports next year to be 6.5 – 7 million tonnes. Butit worries that too many businesses have been licensed to export, makingthe domestic rice market chaotic.
The Ministry ofIndustry and Trade needs to carefully review the list of businessesregistered for rice trading and export, Bay said.
NguyenVan Dong, director of the Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said many challenges still needs resolving, including poorpreservation after harvest and lack of close ties between theGovernment, scientists, farmers, and businesses./.
