Tran Thanh Tao from Thoi Lai District in Can Tho City is a local rice farmer who has been working with the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute to apply new techniques and varieties. Besides raising productivity and incomes, applying new farming techniques has also stirred farmers’ creativity. He said: “I only use certified rice varieties. I also limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides to save on input costs. For this year’s crop, I've planted a new strain of rice created by the Institute. Its productivity is about 12 tons per ha”.
The Mekong Delta Region has mechanized the steps of preparing soil and harvesting as well asautomated irrigation systems. In addition, the implementation of a large-scale field model and cooperation between farmers and businesses have benefited both sides and enhanced thecompetitiveness of Vietnamese rice. With this production model, farmers are supported in terms of seeds, capital, materials, techniques and consumption.
In the next 5 years, large-scale fields will rise by 5 times to 500 thousand ha. With significant advances in the past few years, the MekongDelta has contributed 25 million tons of rice to the country every year. In the future, farmers’ expect is to be given more support so that the can really live on growing rice.
