The Mekong Delta's journey to build an organic, circular agriculture sector

Green circular circle on the field

The Mekong Delta, the nation's largest rice bowl, is undergoing a powerful transformation toward green, ecological, circular, and organic agriculture. This shift is enabling farmers to reduce costs, increase profits, and adapt to climate change. This direction is also a fundamental solution to cope with climate change and successfully implement the Project for 1 Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice, attached with green growth of Mekong Delta by 2030.

In Truong Thanh commune, Can Tho City, Mr. Tran Van Men has just finished harvesting his Autumn-Winter rice crop. Previously, he often burned the straw after harvest because he did not know what else to do with it. Today, the straw has become a second source of revenue, second only to the rice grain.

"I don't burn the straw anymore; I collect and sell it to mushroom growers, earning an extra 1 to 1.5 million USD per hectare. The decomposed straw from mushroom farming is then used as organic fertilizer for the fields or orchards, saving a good deal of money on chemical fertilizers," said Mr. Men.

According to calculations by the Plant Production and Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), the Mekong Delta produces about 24–25 million tons of paddy rice annually, which means generating about 24 million tons of straw. Currently, only about 30% of this byproduct is utilized; the majority is still burned, causing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. If collected and processed into organic fertilizer, farmers could save the equivalent of 1.4 million tons of NPK fertilizer annually - a highly significant figure.

Engineer Duong Huynh Hoa from the Economic Division of Thoi Lai district, Can Tho City, stated: "Straw, after being incubated with microbial cultures for 30–45 days, will fully decompose, turning into organic fertilizer that returns nutrients to the soil. This method is both cost-effective and helps regenerate land depleted by prolonged use of chemical fertilizers."

In Co To commune, An Giang province, Mr. Huynh Van Set, whose family owns a herd of over 20 cows, is also utilizing straw as reserve feed instead of cutting grass along the canal banks. "Before, during the dry season, the lack of grass made the cows skinny. Now, with straw fermented with microbial cultures, it is convenient and helps the herd stay healthy and reproduce better. Utilizing agricultural byproducts is cheap and addresses environmental pollution concerns," Mr. Set shared.

Enterprises utilize byproducts, increase rice value chain

Beyond farmers, many enterprises in the Mekong Delta are also leveraging byproducts from rice to produce high-value goods.

Mr. Ho Van Tong, Director of Thang Loi Enterprise in Thanh An commune, Can Tho City, noted that husks were once a major headache for milling plants because piling them up consumed space and posed a fire risk. Today, things are different: husks are compressed into briquettes, which are compact, easy to transport, and burn efficiently. This product is seeing strong, unfulfilled demand both domestically and for export.

In Dong Thap, Mr. Nguyen Van Canh, Production Director of Agri Index Company, shared that the company aims to export rice husk briquettes to Europe, where demand for bio-fuel is increasing. Compressed husks reduce warehousing costs and serve as a clean fuel that can replace coal and diesel, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a very sustainable path, fully consistent with the circular economy.

In addition to utilizing straw and husks, livestock waste is also being effectively leveraged through circular production without causing environmental pollution. In Can Dang commune, An Giang province, the pig farming household of Mr. Van Vu Phat received state support to build a 20 cubic meter biogas digester.

Mr. Phat explained that, previously, the pig manure caused foul odors that affected the neighborhood. Since installing the biogas system, his family has a fuel source for daily cooking and has eliminated the odor. "It’s a win-win situation," he concluded.

Many large-scale farms are also investing in technology to generate electricity from biogas. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, the owner of a farm with over 450 animals in Sa Dec ward, Dong Thap province, noted: "The farm's biogas digester system has a capacity of nearly 1,000 cubic meters, which is enough to run the generator for the entire farm area. This saves a few million USD in electricity costs each month, effectively manages waste, and prevents pollution."

Biological bedding technology in animal husbandry is also being adopted by many households. Mr. Le Tan Dong (Tan Thuan Dong commune, Dong Thap province) said that raising pigs on biological bedding reduces odors and the need for water to clean the pens. After use, the bedding itself becomes an excellent organic fertilizer for crops, reducing pests and diseases while yielding safe agricultural products.

Proactively replicating the circular agriculture model

In Can Tho, the circular agriculture model has demonstrated clear effectiveness. Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hieu, Head of the Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection of Can Tho City, stated: "If farmers only practice traditional rice cultivation, their annual income is about 86 million USD per hectare. However, by utilizing straw to grow mushrooms and make organic fertilizer, income increases to 133 million USD per hectare per year."

Can Tho is currently planning organic production zones for rice, vegetables, and fruit trees. It is projected that by 2025, 2-2.5% of the city's agricultural area will achieve organic certification, and this figure will rise to 4-5% by 2030. "We will continue to support farmers in investing in organic production, survey, and develop standard production areas in accordance with Decree 109, linking organic agriculture with the circular economy," Ms. Hieu affirmed.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, a senior specialist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), utilizing straw, husks, and livestock waste in agricultural production is the foundation for forming a circular economic chain in Viet Nam's rice industry.

The circular agricultural economy is a vital component of the Project for 1 Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice. IRRI is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and local authorities to deploy a model for collecting straw with baling machines and processing it into fertilizer or cattle feed, creating a new value chain for farmers. This model is expected to be widely replicated across the entire Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Le Thanh Tung, former Deputy Director General of the Department of Crop Production, affirmed: "The Project for 1 Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice is a golden opportunity to promote the development of the circular economy throughout the rice value chain. When farmers know how to utilize byproducts for organic fertilizer, feed, and fuel, they reduce production costs, create additional income, and contribute to environmental protection."

Mr. Tung believes that for the green, organic, and circular agriculture model to truly spread, technical support, financial assistance, and market policies must go hand-in-hand. Cooperatives and businesses need to be encouraged to invest in byproduct processing technology, establish linkage chains, and ensure stable outlets for organic products.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Hung (IRRI) emphasized: "If every hectare of rice in the Mekong Delta is managed under the circular model, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least 20–30%, while farmers' profits will increase by 2.2–7.5 million USD per hectare. This is the clearest evidence of both economic and environmental effectiveness."

With the correct approach, the Mekong Delta's agriculture will not only produce clean, safe rice that meets export market demands but also form a green production base where all byproducts become renewable resources, helping farmers earn a good living on the very fields they cultivate. This will contribute to building a low-emission, sustainable agriculture sector for Vietnam's green future.

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s commemoration events

In commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Agriculture and Environment Sector and the First Patriotic Emulation Congress, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is organizing a series of events running from July to December 2025. The centerpiece is the Ceremony celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Agriculture and Environment Sector and the First Patriotic Emulation Congress, scheduled to be held on the morning of November 12, 2025, at the National Convention Center (Hanoi), with the expected participation of over 1,200 delegates, including leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, and Government; former leaders of the Ministry; representatives of international organizations; and outstanding role models from across the sector.