An Giang enhances farmers' capacity to implement the 1 million hectare rice project

Equipping farmers with knowledge to transform production methods

Enhancing farmers' specialized knowledge and production skills is considered a key factor in successfully implementing the project "Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030."

Recently, in Binh Thuan hamlet, Binh Son commune, An Giang province, the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center coordinated with Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company and Bayer Company to organize a training course on the "High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Cultivation Process in the Mekong Delta." The program attracted more than 30 local farmers, reflecting growing public interest in modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly agricultural production methods.

Ms. Huynh Dao Nguyen, Director of the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center, said the 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice project is a major policy of the agriculture sector aimed at restructuring rice production toward higher added value and sustainable development.

According to Ms. Nguyen, in recent years, the agriculture sector, the agricultural extension system, and businesses have actively implemented a range of support programs to help farmers gain access to advanced production processes. The project’s overarching objectives are to reduce input costs, improve economic efficiency, and minimize adverse environmental impacts.

At the training course, Mr. Nguyen Le Vinh, an official of the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center, shared practical information related to the high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation process. The sessions focused on solutions to improve rice yields and grain quality, use agricultural materials efficiently, reduce production costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions during the production process.

One of the topics that drew particular attention from farmers was the integrated application of the "1 Must, 5 Reductions" approach. Under this approach, farmers use certified rice varieties, reduce seeding rates, cut the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reduce irrigation water, and minimize post-harvest losses. These solutions have been proven effective in practice, significantly reducing input costs and increasing profits per unit of land while helping mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.

In addition to theoretical training, within the framework of the program, the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center's leader also directly surveyed and visited local models implementing the project, thereby assessing their effectiveness and gathering firsthand feedback from farmers.

Accompanying farmers to build a green agriculture

Alongside technology transfer activities, businesses are also playing an important role in implementing the 1 million hectare rice project. Mr. Nguyen Tran The, an expert from the Marketing Department of Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, said that green, low-emission agricultural production is no longer merely a trend but has become an inevitable requirement of both domestic and international markets. Therefore, supporting farmers in accessing advanced farming solutions is a task that needs to be carried out regularly.

During the training course, participants actively exchanged views and discussed issues they are facing in the fields, such as rising material costs, pest management, efficient fertilizer use, and the search for stable output for their products. Many farmers expressed a wish for more in-depth training courses, demonstration models of using organic fertilizers, the application of digital technologies, and consumption linkage programs.

According to Ms. Huynh Dao Nguyen, the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center organizes more than 100 technical training courses each year on livestock farming, crop production, and aquaculture for farmers and cooperatives, with around 3,000 participants. In particular, intensive technical training on high-quality rice cultivation under the 1 million hectare rice project, which incorporates programs and projects implemented by businesses, attracts around 4,000 farmers.

The training courses not only provide technical knowledge but also offer the agricultural extension system an opportunity to listen to farmers’ concerns, aspirations, difficulties, and recommendations at the grassroots level. This provides an important basis for developing support programs that are better aligned with farmers’ practical needs in the coming period.

"Participating in the 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice project not only helps farmers increase their incomes but also contributes to protecting land and water resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and building a green and sustainable agricultural sector.

Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent market requirements for environmentally friendly agricultural products, enhancing farmers’ capacity is considered the key to enabling An Giang to achieve its goal of developing the rice industry toward high quality, responsibility, and sustainability," said Ms. Huynh Dao Nguyen, Director of the An Giang Agricultural Extension Center.