Clarify benefits of emission reduction from 1 million hectares of high-quality rice project

During the monthly meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on May 3, Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized the importance of creating a communication plan for units to the Department of Crop Production and the National Agricultural Extension Center. Its purpose is to educate the public about the advantages of implementing cultivation practices that reduce emissions in "Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High Quality and Low-Emission Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong River Delta By 2030" project, also known as the "1 million hectares of rice" project.

Minister Le Minh Hoan asserts that adopting these agricultural procedures will enable farmers to cut their input costs and achieve substantial profit growth compared to traditional ways. Additionally, reducing emissions and trading carbon credits are added value.

The planned project for the National Agricultural Extension Center involves doing research and publishing a handbook on cultivation practices, as suggested by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The handbook will provide clear and concise explanations to address farmers' questions regarding the ease of implementation, the potential costs involved, and the potential profitability.

In relation to the ministry's overall efforts, Minister Le Minh Hoan urged units to strengthen proactive coordination and alignment with specific objectives. "In order to address common issues, it is important for units to respond promptly and seek guidance from Deputy Ministers or Ministers when facing obstacles," noted the Minister.

In a previous statement, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien expressed his belief that the agriculture industry has experienced significant growth in all areas, particularly in terms of export surpluses.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep has declared that, with the exception of the South Central region, all areas in the country have experienced rainfall and have overcome the critical phase of the drought condition. Regarding this matter, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that the recent winter-spring crop remained unaffected. However, the upcoming summer-autumn crop will be adversely impacted in terms of both cultivated area and output as a result of the drought.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri suggested that the Forest Protection Department and Vietnam Administration of Forestry establish task teams to conduct inspections and handle critical matters in the forestry industry, such as forest fire prevention and firefighting.

Deputy Minister Hoang Trung remarked that the Red River Delta is now seeing the highest level of leaf roller infestation throughout the crop production season. The Plant Protection Department must carry out inspections and strongly encourage communities to execute essential pest management measures, such as reapplying insecticides in badly impacted regions.

The Department of Planning's study indicates that the overall export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in the first four months of 2024 amounted to around USD 19.06 billion, reflecting a 23.7% growth compared to the corresponding period in 2023. More precisely, the value of agricultural products amounted to USD 10.44 billion, forestry products amounted to USD 5.18 billion, and aquatic items amounted to USD 2.68 billion.

Several export items had substantial rises in average export prices: The price of rice increased by 22.2% to reach USD 644 per ton, while coffee saw a 49.7% increase to reach USD 3,402 per ton. Rubber also experienced a 6.9% increase, reaching USD 1,487 per ton.

Vietnamese agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products are mostly imported by the United States, China, and Japan, which are the three main import markets for these goods. More precisely, the proportion of exports to the United States increased by 25.7% and accounted for 20.1% of the total export value. Similarly, exports to China increased by 15.1% and stood for 18.9% of the total export value. Additionally, exports to Japan increased by 9.6% and accounted for 6.9% of the total export value.

To maintain the momentum of export growth, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to address market issues to create favorable conditions for exporting agricultural and aquatic products, especially to key markets such as China, the United States, Japan, and the EU. Additionally, efforts will be made to open up new markets with great potential such as Halal markets, the Middle East, and Africa. Cooperation among ministries and sectors will be strengthened to support the protection of trademarks and geographical indications for Vietnam's potential export products abroad.