Expanding large-scale rice fields to raise export value

Linking production to build large material zones

Gone are the days of small, fragmented plots where each household farmed independently. Many rice-growing areas in Dong Thap are shifting toward land consolidation and large-scale linked production tied to consuming enterprises. This is considered an important step in implementing the Project for Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Specialized Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta.

Carrying out the policy of restructuring the agricultural sector, Dong Thap is focusing on developing material zones through cooperatives, farmer clubs, and enterprises. Farmers no longer produce individually but jointly apply unified technical processes, synchronized mechanization, and linked consumption, gradually meeting the requirements of export markets.

Farmers across the province have simultaneously adopted a range of advanced farming practices, including field sanitation, ratoon rice treatment, reducing seeding rates to about 70 kg/ha, row seeding combined with fertilizer burial, alternate wetting and drying water management, limiting straw burning, using by-products for organic fertilizer, and applying integrated pest management (IPM) under the "four rights" principle. These measures help cut costs, reduce emissions, and improve rice grain quality.

The One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Project has created new momentum for Dong Thap's rice industry. In 2026, the province aims to expand the area to 100,000 hectares with 21 production models, and by 2030 to reach 161,000 hectares of specialized low-emission rice cultivation.

To achieve this goal, the locality continues to promote technical training, credit support, attracting enterprises for linked consumption, and replicating emission-reduction farming models tied to Integrated Plant Health Management (IPHM). Having witnessed real-world results, more and more farmers are participating proactively rather than simply responding to campaigns.

One bright spot is the Thang Loi Agricultural Service Cooperative in My Quy commune, Dong Thap province. Under the motto "Linking to develop together, cooperating to win together," the cooperative has partnered with a number of enterprises, including Loc Troi, Vinarice, Cuu Long, and Tan Thanh, to organize rice production and consumption.

Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Thang Loi Agricultural Service Cooperative, said the most important factor is changing farmers' mindsets from small-scale production toward production driven by market demand. When joining the linked chain, farmers receive support for input materials, technical guidance, and guaranteed output purchasing with consistent quality that meets traceability requirements.

The cooperative has also invested in synchronized mechanization covering land preparation, seeding, fertilizing, spraying, and harvesting, helping to reduce production costs. At the same time, the cooperative participates in greenhouse gas emission-reduction projects and guides members in keeping field diaries in line with international standards.

Thanks to applying sustainable production processes, farmers not only earn higher profits from their rice but also receive income from carbon credits. On average, members are paid about 300,000 dong (roughly $11.70) per hectare per crop, with total payments to date exceeding 650 million dong (roughly $25,400). The emission-reduction project alone, implemented on 155 hectares, has brought farmers tens of millions of dong in additional income. The cooperative has also set up collection points for used pesticide packaging, contributing to building a safe, environmentally friendly production area.

From emission-reduction fields to the export value chain

If the Thang Loi cooperative demonstrates the effectiveness of large-scale linked production, then in Tan Long commune, a rice farming model following the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard is opening a new direction for Dong Thap rice.

At the Tan Binh Agricultural Cooperative, farmers have grown accustomed to keeping field diaries, monitoring water levels in their fields, applying fertilizer based on the rice plant's actual needs, reducing pesticide use, and not burning straw after harvest. These changes have helped raise yields, improve grain quality, and boost economic efficiency.

Nguyen Quang Quan, a farmer cultivating 3.5 hectares of rice in Tan Long commune, said that in the past, fertilizing and spraying were done mainly based on experience. Since joining the SRP model, he regularly visits his fields and monitors the rice plants' growth to provide care at the right time.

Input costs have dropped significantly while yields remain stable. More importantly, his rice now meets the requirements of purchasing enterprises, making it easier to sell.

According to Quan, many households were initially hesitant to reduce seed volumes, cut chemical fertilizer use, and adopt alternate wetting-and-drying irrigation. However, after several crop cycles, the economic benefits convinced more and more farmers to join and expand their cultivated areas.

Huynh Binh Phuoc, Director of the Tan Binh Agricultural Cooperative, said that after several seasons of implementation, the SRP model has proven effective in cutting costs, improving rice quality, and adapting to climate change. As the cultivated area expands, mechanization, field management, and linkage with enterprises also become easier, laying the foundation for building a large material zone.

One notable solution is alternate wetting-and-drying water management. A system of water-level measuring pipes allows farmers to actively irrigate at the right time, saving water, cutting costs, and limiting methane emissions.

Tran Thanh Tam, Director of the Dong Thap Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said the province is developing modern agricultural production models, expanding concentrated material zones linked to enterprises and markets. Alongside developing organic and circular agriculture and applying high technology, the locality is focusing on organizing production along value chains, building material zones that meet standards, and linking them to growing-area codes, traceability, and digital transformation.

According to Tam, when farmers join cooperatives together and apply the same technical processes, enterprises find it easier to control quality and meet increasingly strict export standards, thereby raising the value of Vietnamese rice.

Dong Thap currently has 417 agricultural cooperatives and 154 farmer clubs with nearly 98,000 members, providing an important foundation for expanding large-scale commodity production areas.