Vietnam to expand low-carbon rice farming model

Reducing greenhouse gases in agricultural production is currently a general trend in the world. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has carried out many programmes and projects on adaptation to climate change, the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine (VBF) reported.
Reducing greenhouse gases in agricultural production is currently ageneral trend in the world. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development has carried out many programmes and projects onadaptation to climate change, the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine (VBF)reported.

After a four-year pilot programme, the low carbon rice farming model is being considered for expansion in Vietnam.

From2010 to 2012, the Institute of Mekong Delta Development ResearchInstitute, the Hanoi Water Resources University and the Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development of An Giang province jointlyimplemented the low-carbon rice farming project in Binh Hoa commune,Chau Thanh district, An Giang province. The project was funded byEnvironmental Defence Fund (EDF).

The second phase (2012-2014)was deployed by 400 farming households in Kenh B Cooperative, Thanh DongA commune, Tan Hiep district (Kien Giang province) and Phu ThuongCooperative, Phu Thanh commune, Phu Tan district (An Giang province),with a scale of 540 ha each crop.

Reviewing the performance ofthe second phase, Project Manager Tran Thu Ha said the new ricecultivation model reduced seed use by 50 percent, fertilisers by 30percent, pesticides by 30 - 40 percent, water by 40 – 50 and labour by20 - 30 percent, while raising productivity by 10 - 15 percent andfarmers’ incomes by 5 - 10 percent. This rice farming model has reducedgas emissions per hectare per year by 7.7 tonnes in An Giang provinceand by 45 tonnes in Kien Giang province.

Not only reducing theamount of greenhouse gases emitted, cleaning up the environment, andincreasing profits for farmers in the time of cutting costs foragricultural inputs and farming methods, this model also produces clean,safe and environment-friendly products, also known as bio-rice.

Toreduce emissions in agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment targeted to reduce emissions in horticulture.

LeQuoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, saidthe horticultural sector will apply advanced farming techniques andsolutions to reduce water consumption and input costs; collect, reuseand treat straw thoroughly in order to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions and environmental pollution.

Together with thesespecific measures, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentwill study and complete GHG reduction methods in arable farming systems;complete cultivation processes to improve productivity, reduceemissions, study waste treating technologies, and reuse agriculturalproducts to increase economic efficiency and reduce emissions.

Ata forum on GHG emission reduction in agriculture held in Hanoi onSeptember 17, 2014, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh affirmed that the lowcarbon rice farming model produced positive results and the agriculturalsector would consider expanding it in Vietnam to produce prestigiousand high-quality rice to meet consumer requirements and buildsustainable agriculture.-VNA

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