Delta urged to expand quality standards programme for rice

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta should expand the application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in rice production to promote quality and safety, experts said at a conference in Tien Giang last Friday.

This would enable the region to gain wider acceptance in both domestic and international markets, it was said.

GAP is a collection of principles that apply to on-farm production and post-production processes, ensuring the health of both producers and consumers, reducing environmental pollution, and resulting in the production of safe and healthy food as well as products with easily traceable origins.

Speaking at the conference titled Rice Production following GAP, Prof. Pham Van Du, deputy head of the Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said rice exports increased strongly both in volume and value in recent years.

However, this happened mostly because of higher prices in the global market, and is not a real increase in value, he said.

For the same kind of rice, Vietnamese rice is usually priced lower than that of its Thai counterpart, according to Du.

That is due to poor seeds, improper farming techniques and poor storage practices, leading to low competitiveness of Vietnamese rice and causing difficulties in building brand value and recognition.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, provinces in the delta and relevant agencies have carried out rice production following VietGAP standards on a trial basis for the last two years, Du said.

In Tien Giang Province, the My Thanh Nam Cooperative in Cai Lay District received the Global GAP certification for rice in 2009. Currently, ADC Co.Ltd has signed contracts to purchase all the rice produced by the co-operative at prices 20 per cent higher than the market price, according to Dr Nguyen Hong Thuy of the Tien Giang Technical and Biotechnology Center.

Tien Giang has widened application of GAP at many co-operatives including the My Thanh Co-operative in Cai Lay District and the My Trinh Co-operative in Cai Be District.

Many other provinces in the delta have been impressed with the efficiency of GAP in rice production, and have begun organising training courses on applying it locally.

By maintaining notes in a handbook, Du said farmers were able to realise mistakes in their farming techniques, including fertilizer and pesticide use that pushes up production costs.

Slow progress

Nguyen Van Khang, deputy chairman of the Tien Giang People’s Committee, said despite the achievements, progress had been slow in applying GAP standards in rice production due the lack of links between farmers and business. “This discourages farmers from participating in GAP programmes,”he said.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has so far issued specific procedures for applying GAP in fresh fruit and vegetable production, not rice.

“Small-scale production and a lack of cooperation among farmers, co-operatives and businesses are preventing GAP from expanding further in the region,” Du said.

Close links between enterprises and farmers, in which enterprises ensure outlets for all rice produced following GAP standards would encourage their application, said Le Van Banh, director of the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute.

Provinces and farmers must make re-zoning plans for their fields to facilitate application of GAP standards in production.

The central and provincial governments should issue incentive policies to encourage businesses that ensure outlets for GAP rice, Banh said.

Applying GAP standards for rice would help reduce production costs, raise quality and increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice in both domestic and foreign markets.

With increasing incomes, people tend to choose safer, healthier products, and GAP standards would help customers feel secure when buying Vietnamese rice and boost its image in global markets, he said.

Tong Khiem, director of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Center, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would soon issue regulations relating to GAP for rice cultivation.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, the country’s rice granary, contributes more than 50 per cent of the country’s rice output and more than 90 per cent of the total rice export volume per year.

Last week’s seminar was co-oganised by the National Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Center and the Tien Giang Agriculture and Rural Development Department. More than 700 ministry and provincial officials, scientists and farmers from 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta attended the conference. – VNS

Tags: Mekong Delta, Vietnam agriculture