In 2025, the Mekong Delta will reach more than 300,000 hectares of cultivated areas with reduced emissions

At the Conference to review 1 year of implementing the Project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta (MD) by 2030" (abbreviated as the Project) held in Can Tho City on April 9, delegates had general assessments, setting out directions and tasks for implementation for the next phase.

The challenge is that the Project is not uniform among localities; still focusing too much on carbon credits without focusing on sustainable production; irrigation infrastructure has not kept up with implementation progress; applying unsynchronized agricultural technical solutions; businesses and farmers' awareness is still limited, production linkages are weak; investment resources for the Project are still limited;...

Therefore, leaders of localities, experts, enterprises, farmers, and cooperatives of participating provinces and cities have proposed solutions to continue implementing the Project expansion in 2025, such as improving capacity and creating a support mechanism for cooperatives to play a central role in organizing production, purchasing and consuming products; promoting the market for high-quality rice consumption, developing Vietnamese rice brands, strengthening linkages between enterprises, cooperatives and farmers...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MONRE) has determined that 2025 is an important year, marking the end of the project's initial phase. The Ministry directs localities to complete the registration quota for emission reduction cultivation areas, continue to pay attention to supporting the implementation of emission reduction cultivation models from local budgets.

It is expected that in 2025, 312,743 hectares of land will be applied to reduce emissions.

To achieve the goal, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Do Duc Duy suggested that localities urgently approve projects of provinces and cities, along with support policies according to the authority and capacity of localities to support farmers. Enterprises and cooperatives will soon expand the area of participation in the Project as the target registered with the Government and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development also suggested that businesses closely link with farmers, cooperatives, and localities to form sustainable linkage chains from production, harvesting, processing to export. International organizations continue to accompany localities, businesses, and farmers in implementing the Project.

"We are facing a great opportunity to reshape the Vietnamese rice industry in a modern, sustainable, environmentally friendly, responsible to the community and society, while affirming the position and brand of Vietnamese rice in the international market.

I request localities, units, businesses and farmers to continue to promote the spirit of solidarity, innovation, determination to successfully implement the Project, making practical contributions to the development of a green, clean, sustainable Vietnamese agriculture, building beautiful, beautiful and civilized new rural areas" - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Do Duc Duy informed.

Read the original here