Viet Nam, Japan partner on low-emission rice farming

The signing ceremony was attended by representatives of NAEC, Loc Troi Group, Newgreen Co., the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Viet Nam.

Immediate deployment planned

Speaking at the event, NAEC Director Le Quoc Thanh emphasized that Viet Nam’s agricultural sector is entering a new phase that requires significant transformation in production practices.

“Viet Nam is continuing to pursue agriculture along a green development pathway, implementing a green transition and fulfilling commitments to the international community on sustainable agricultural development, emissions reduction, and environmental protection,” Thanh said in remarks to Japanese partners.

According to Thanh, Viet Nam has already introduced numerous policies promoting innovation, the adoption of advanced technologies, and other solutions to support green growth in the sector.

“That is why NAEC worked with Newgreen and identified that Newgreen’s technological solutions could contribute to Viet Nam’s agricultural development. Today’s signing ceremony is the result of that process,” he said.

Thanh added that NAEC, in collaboration with Loc Troi Group, has already tested Newgreen’s Aigamorobo robotic system in rice production. Initial trials have generated positive feedback, showing improved efficiency, lower costs, and notably reduced emissions.

From Newgreen’s side, Vice President Tetsuya Nakamura said the Aigamorobo robot has already demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing emissions in rice production in Japan.

“Based on assessments from trial areas where we cooperated with Loc Troi during the most recent rice crop, methane (CH₄) emissions in the fields fell by as much as 50 percent,” Nakamura said.

He described the agreement as a starting point for stronger cooperation among the partners in the future.

“I hope that together we can produce world-class results in low-emission agricultural production,” he said.

From the business perspective, Huynh Van Thon, Chairman of Loc Troi Group, said the company is ready to deploy Newgreen’s technologies in Viet Namese rice fields.

“Today marks an important milestone for Loc Troi and an opportunity for us to further our goal of standing alongside farmers,” Thon said, adding that the group will make every effort to implement the partnership in line with its cooperative spirit and support sustainable development for farmers.

Researching effectiveness and commercialization potential

Under the agreement, the parties will establish a strategic partnership to research, test, refine, and transfer low-emission rice cultivation technologies. The cooperation aims to support Viet Nam’s greenhouse-gas reduction targets in the rice sector, particularly within the framework of the government’s project to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta by 2030.

The partners will jointly research, test, and refine low-emission rice cultivation processes that incorporate the Aigamorobo system and other advanced Japanese technologies. The results will serve as the basis for proposing official recognition of these technologies as technical advances by relevant authorities and for expanding their adoption in Viet Nam.

They will also study and evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing, assembling, and commercializing Aigamorobo systems in Viet Nam in accordance with national regulations.

Specific activities include experimental trials of low-emission rice cultivation models using Aigamorobo in combination with alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation techniques and other technical solutions proposed by Newgreen, adapted to Viet Nam’s ecological conditions and farming practices.

The partners will monitor and collect data to evaluate technical, environmental, and economic indicators and compile research reports with scientific and practical value for agricultural extension and technology transfer.

They will also organize training programs and technical guidance for extension officers, cooperatives, and farmers in project areas, as well as information campaigns, scientific workshops, study tours, and project evaluations to disseminate research findings and promote the replication of low-emission rice cultivation models.

In addition, the partners will collaborate on preparing technical documentation to submit to Viet Namese authorities for recognition of the Aigamorobo-based low-emission cultivation model as an approved technical advancement under current regulations.

The agreement also includes efforts to promote trade connections and market linkages for low-emission rice produced through the partnership, in accordance with the legal frameworks governing each party.

According to the roadmap, small-scale experimental trials will be conducted between 2026 and 2027. Large-scale trials and process refinement are scheduled for the 2028-2030 period.

Thanh stressed that the cooperation should move quickly from agreement to implementation.

“We already have the necessary workforce and machinery in place, so these technologies need to be put into operation as soon as possible,” he said.