Mekong Delta to apply MRV protocol to 300,000 ha of high-quality rice

Starting a low-emission production approach

On November 17, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, together with the Can Tho City People’s Committee and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), held the conference “Implementation of the MRV protocol and the high-quality, low-emission rice production protocol in the Mekong River Delta.”

The conference reached an agreement on a pilot roadmap for the Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) protocol and the expansion of high-quality, low-emission rice production in the Mekong Delta for the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, with a regional scale-up planned to begin in 2027. Specialized agencies will continue to develop tools to monitor and evaluate the efficiency of emission reduction and the economic benefits for farmers.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam stated that the release of these two protocols provides a basis for Mekong Delta localities to apply them in practice and create conditions for international organizations to cooperate in implementing the One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Scheme. This is not only a technical requirement but also the starting point for Vietnam to transition from traditional rice production practices to green, smart, circular, low-emission agriculture.

Deputy Minister Nam assigned the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection to provide guidance, training, and technical support to localities beginning with the 2025–2026 winter–spring crop season. Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment should review and select suitable material areas, align protocols with related projects, and develop planting area codes that incorporate traceability and sustainability certification.

The Department of Science and Technology will cooperate with the Institute for Agricultural Environment and international organizations to complete the verification framework in alignment with the national MRV system.

The Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development will work with the National Agricultural Extension Center to develop low-emission cooperative models, fostering value chain linkages and carbon credits in agriculture.

Updating the latest technical advancements

After nearly two years of implementing Decision No. 145/QD-TT-CLT on “Technical protocol and handbook for high-quality, low-emission rice production in the Mekong Delta,” the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection recorded several challenges during real-time application, which call for modification and updates.

Based on consultations with local authorities, research institutes, universities, scientific organizations, associations, and experts, Deputy Director Nguyen Quoc Manh of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection said the Department has reviewed, revised, and updated the latest technical advances in the protocol to perfect farming methods, helping to improve production efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the Department issued Decision No. 4043/QD-TTBV-TTBVTV dated November 10, 2025, on the “High-quality, low-emission rice production protocol for the Mekong Delta,” replacing Decision No. 145/QD-TT-CLT.

The updated protocol includes three key changes. The first concerns water management with two drainage options: draining twice during cultivation for areas with good water control, and draining once for areas with limited irrigation capability.

The second change relates to seeding rates, which will be gradually reduced to align with regional farming habits. From now until 2028, seeding rates will be 70 - 80 kg/ha and less than 70 kg/ha after 2028.

The final change is rice straw management in flooded fields. When straw cannot be removed due to rain, flooding, or limited machinery access, farmers must drain water before plowing/incorporating straw and apply biological agents to decompose it.

Viet Nam’s first MRV protocol

The pilot MRV protocol for high-quality, low-emission rice farming in the Mekong Delta was also announced at the conference through Decision No. 4801/QD-BNNMT dated November 14, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The pilot will run until December 31, 2026.

In the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, the MRV protocol is expected to be piloted on 300,000 ha. According to Dr. Mai Van Trinh, Director of the Institute for Agricultural Environment, if farmers successfully drain fields once (fields remain dry for at least three consecutive days), emissions can be reduced by 29%. Draining successfully twice can reduce emissions by 45%.

Incorporating fresh straw into the soil within 30 days before the crop can reduce methane emissions by up to 81%. If straw is converted into compost, emissions can be reduced by 83%.

A key requirement of the MRV protocol is the accurate determination of baseline emissions, precise measurement of farmers’ mitigation actions to ensure leveled field surfaces and uniform farming conditions.

“The MRV protocol is multi-method and adaptable from basic to advanced levels. In the near future, efforts will focus on scaling MRV implementation to quantify emission reduction from high-quality, low-emission rice production models,” said Dr. Trinh.

The MRV implementation aims to support reporting on Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to climate change and evaluate emission reduction quality for participation in carbon credit markets or bilateral carbon exchange programs.

The Institute for Agricultural Environment is developing a digital MRV system that allows local MRV officers to submit data directly via software instead of paperwork. In addition, research is ongoing on advanced measurement technologies, including water-level sensors, satellite imagery, and artificial intelligence, to improve the accuracy of water-drainage detection.