Bio solutions guide farmers toward green value

Cleaner environment, profits up by more than VND 10 million/ha

In the context of agriculture shifting toward green and sustainable practices, the Mekong Delta has been witnessing clear progress in gradually replacing chemical fertilizers and pesticides with biological products. This solution not only reduces production costs but also helps protect the environment and public health and improve the quality of export-oriented agricultural products.

In Dong Thap, a model emphasizing the safe and effective use of pesticides and prioritizing biological solutions in rice farming has been widely adopted by farmers. The model, implemented in coordination with Map Pacific Singapore, has attracted hundreds of farmers to visit and learn.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Xuan in Thanh Loi commune (Dong Thap province), who cultivates 6.4 ha of OM18 rice, the use of biological pesticides has delivered evident results. Production costs for this crop amount to around VND 23.7 million/ha, with yields reaching nearly 9 tons/ha and a selling price of VND 6,300/kg. After deducting expenses, profits reach approximately VND 30 million/ha.

With the shift to biological products, pesticide costs have declined significantly due to fewer spraying times, while rice plants grow more vigorously and suffer less from pests and diseases. Moreover, paddy prices are consistently higher thanks to better grain quality that meets market requirements. Beyond Dong Thap, many farmers in neighboring provinces such as An Giang, Can Tho, and Tay Ninh have also begun transitioning to biological farming practices.

Mr. Huynh Van Thoi in Tan Thanh commune (Tay Ninh province) said that since the 2025–2026 winter-spring crop, his family has applied biological products on 1.5 ha while continuing traditional cultivation on the remaining 2.7 ha. At present, as the crop approaches harvest, clear differences are evident in the model field. The field using biological products shows greener plants, plumper grains, and fewer pests and diseases. Meanwhile, the traditionally farmed field, which uses 100% chemical fertilizers and pesticides, has a higher rate of unfilled grains and more pest infestations, leading to much higher production costs than the biological field.

According to Mr. Thoi, yields may vary by around 50–100 kg/cong (1,000 m²/cong). More importantly, the environment is cleaner, farmers are not exposed to health risks during spraying, and the harvested rice is well accepted by the market.

Field models show that the use of biological pesticides not only delivers economic efficiency but also contributes to environmental improvement. Biological products do not eliminate natural enemies, helping maintain ecological balance in rice fields. This is considered a key factor for sustainable pest control.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thanh, Director of the Registration and Intellectual Property Department at Map Pacific Singapore Co., Ltd., said that in recent rice crops in the Mekong Delta, the company has implemented models using biological pesticides in rice plants, along with biological solutions to improve soil quality, balance pH, and supplement minerals, creating favorable conditions for root development. As a result, rice plants enhance their resilience to adverse weather and reduce pest pressure.

Monitoring results over multiple crops show that fields applying biological processes can reduce input costs by more than 10%, while yields increase by around 10–11% compared to traditional methods. As a result, profits are nearly VND 10 million/ha higher.

Farmers no longer pursue short-term gains

As rice-importing markets increasingly tighten regulations on chemical residues, the shift toward biological pesticides has become inevitable. Mr. Tran Thanh Tung, Director of the Southern Center for Pesticides Control and Testing (Plant Production and Protection Department), noted that this is a key solution to enhancing the value of agricultural products. Scaling up models using biological products not only helps control pests effectively but also improves product quality, meeting stringent market requirements, particularly for export.

According to Mr. Tung, in practice, the transition from chemical to biological products is not merely a technical solution but also a shift in the mindset of agricultural production. It enables farmers to move away from short-term gains and toward sustainable value.

In recent years, the use of biological pesticides in the Mekong Delta has helped reduce pollution of soil, water, and air, while protecting the health of both producers and consumers. At the same time, it contributes to conserving biodiversity within agricultural ecosystems. When farmers strictly follow technical processes, their products are not only safe but also gain a competitive advantage in the market. This serves as an important foundation for building a sustainable brand for Vietnamese agricultural products.

From a local management perspective, Mr. Tran Thanh Tam, Head of the Dong Thap Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, highly valued the initial effectiveness of biological, organic farming models. He said that the locality is encouraging enterprises to coordinate efforts to scale up these models and organize more training classes, so that farmers can increasingly access and widely apply biological products in agricultural production.

"Dong Thap's agriculture sector aims for farmers to reduce input costs while maintaining high efficiency, moving toward a green and sustainable agriculture," Mr. Tam said.

According to the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province targets having more than 50,000 ha participating in the "One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice in the Mekong Delta" project by 2030. In this context, the use of biological pesticides is regarded as one of the key solutions for producing high-quality rice capable of competing in major global markets.

* USD 1 = VND 26,359 (Source: Vietcombank)