Unified process for the whole region
Production cost is an important factor determining the profit of farmers after each rice harvest. In the context of high fertilizer prices, many processes to reduce production costs have been applied by localities in the Mekong Delta with the desire to help farmers increase profits. However, a fact that experts have pointed out is that "process disorder" makes farmers struggle to know which method is suitable.
The technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the Mekong Delta gives specific parameters on the amount of seed sown, the dose of fertilizer. Photo: Kim Anh.
To form a unified process applied throughout the Mekong Delta region, on the basis of technical processes to reduce the cost of rice production of localities and businesses, as well as recommendations and opinions of scientists. On April 25, the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) issued Decision No. 73/QD-TT-VPPN on the recognition of “Technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency. in the Mekong Delta”.
According to this decision, the technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the Mekong Delta includes 7 stages: land preparation, field preparation; seed preparation; fertilizer; efficient water management; pest management; harvesting and post-harvest handling; scope and place of application of the process.
The highlight of this process is reducing the amount of seed sown, one of the important factors determining the success or failure of the problem of reducing production costs. The process recommends that farmers, depending on each crop, ecological conditions, weather and each group of varieties, the amount of seed sown should not exceed 80 kg/ha for orchid seeding (manual sowing, seed sprayer), sowing. row or not more than 60 kg/ha for cluster (cluster) sowing.
Use certified seed with a good market and suitable for local farming conditions. Photo: Kim Anh .
Besides, when implementing this method, farmers should pay attention to a number of measures to ensure density when reducing sowing rice varieties such as: tillage (ground, trenching); certified varieties; seed treatment with probiotics; fertilizing with phosphate fertilizers; good weed control; proactive water; Foliar fertilizer enhances germination, healthy seedling, fat plants, early tillering...
At the same time, in the context of high fertilizer prices, this newly recognized technical process also aims to restructure the amount of fertilizer applied to each ecological region and each certain season.
In which, the amount of fertilizer recommended for winter-spring crop is 90-100 kg/ha of nitrogen (urea fertilizer); 30-40 kg/ha of phosphorus and 30 kg/ha of potassium. As for the summer-autumn crop, depending on the ecological region, people balance using 80-100 kg/ha of nitrogen; 40 – 50 kg/ha of phosphorus; 30 kg/ha of potassium. For the sweet region, the structure of 3 rice crops/year in the autumn-winter crop should range from 80-90 kg/ha of nitrogen; 50 kg/ha of phosphorus and 40 kg/ha of potassium.
In particular, when using fertilizers, farmers need to ensure the following principles: Apply heavy nitrogen at the beginning, light at the end, with an increase or decrease according to the actual situation of the rice crop; phosphate fertilizer early, focus on priming, phase 1 and 2; Concentrated potassium fertilizer for the stroke, can be supplemented for the first phase if necessary.
The fact that the Department of Crop Production has recognized the technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the Mekong Delta, contributing to refining the stages in each process currently being implemented in localities, to create a process. uniform application for the whole region. Besides helping to reduce production costs, the process also creates a technical barrier to controlling the quality of rice production, serving further goals on the way to elevate the Vietnamese rice brand.
Enterprises of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides must comply with the process
According to Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, Chief of Office for Coordination of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Mekong Delta, the price of fertilizer has increased very high as it is now, while the productivity and selling price of rice of the people in the Mekong Delta region. unlikely to increase further in the near future. In order for farmers to make a profit, there is no other way but to reduce production costs.
Over the past time, training programs, instructions on the process of reducing the cost of local rice production, and demonstration models of smart rice cultivation of enterprises have been widely deployed in the fields. Typically, the smart rice farming program of the National Agricultural Extension Center in collaboration with Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company has been implemented in 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta. Or the program to introduce Emuniv probiotic products into rice straw treatment in the field of the Vietnam National Academy of Agriculture… Farmers who participated in these models all recorded the results of reducing the amount of rice seed, reducing the use of rice seeds. fertilizers and pesticides are very significant. However, according to the Department of Crop Production, the efficiency has not been as expected. “In each process that localities have done so far,
Mr. Cao Thang Binh, a senior expert on agriculture of the World Bank in Vietnam, has given "startling" numbers, in a number of World Bank studies in Vietnam, farmers are using Input factors such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides... exceed the level recommended by the agricultural sector, specifically by more than 30%. This means more than 30% of production costs are wasted every year.
According to a World Bank study, Mekong Delta rice farmers are wasting nearly $170 million per year due to inefficient use of inputs. Photo: Kim Anh.
More alarmingly, every year in the Mekong Delta, rice farmers are wasting nearly $170 million due to inefficient use of inputs. "If farmers save more than $170 million a year, this amount is large enough for farmers to reinvest, reducing this cost also improves the problem of environmental pollution a lot," said Mr. Binh.
Also according to Mr. Binh, if farmers in the Mekong Delta produce according to the recommended process of the agricultural industry, they can reduce costs by 20%. Currently, after many surveys in some localities in the Mekong Delta, Mr. Binh found that some provinces have exceeded this figure by up to 30%. In the context that fertilizers and pesticides are at a high threshold, this cost reduction makes more sense, creating an incentive for farmers to apply sustainable farming techniques.
A representative of the World Bank in Vietnam said that if farmers produce according to the recommended process of the agricultural industry, they can reduce costs by 20%. Photo: Kim Anh.
With the technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the Mekong Delta region, it is recognized by the Department of Crop Production on the basis of generalization and generalization so that it can be disseminated to the whole region. Mr. Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Director of the Department of Crop Production, suggested that localities in the Mekong Delta commit to following this process. At the same time, it is required that enterprises in seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides implement local models to comply, in order to gradually spread the process.
“Slowly, the rain-soaked for a long time, it was extremely difficult for farmers to change their habits, and there had to be strong commitments from localities. Contributing to the production direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and related units, forming a widespread movement, and evaluating the effectiveness of reducing production costs in the shortest time. In the future, the Department of Crop Production will continue to develop more cost-reducing processes on other key agricultural products," emphasized Mr. Cuong.
It is known that the Department of Crop Production is planning to implement a technical process of rice cultivation to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the Mekong Delta for each specific period and period, ensuring the highest possible economic efficiency.
On May 29, at the 4th Prime Minister's Dialogue with Farmers Conference, held in Son La province, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan affirmed that reducing production costs was an "order". , if determined farmers will be able to do. From field visits in some localities, the Minister realized that many farmers know how to reduce input costs by choosing circular economic models, taking advantage of by-products in agricultural production. This approach helps farmers significantly reduce the cost of fertilizers and purchase agricultural materials.
The Minister also pointed out two factors that help farmers reduce production costs effectively: participating in cooperatives, from here farmers can buy materials and fertilizers at a more economical price. Those are two factors that help farmers control production and reduce dependence on market fluctuations.
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