Discussing solutions for lowering rice production costs in the Mekong Delta

On August 19, the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) co-hosted an agricultural extension forum with the Plant Protection Department and the Department of Crop Production. The theme was "Proactively reduce the number of seeds – fertilizers to reduce rice production during the Covid-19 pandemic."

Increasing value and competitiveness

Director of NAEC Le Quoc Thanh stated at the event that the Covid-19 pandemic has harmed not only the socioeconomic condition but also the agricultural production process.

He stated that agricultural extension programs have promoted the decrease of the number of seeds and fertilizers for many years. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has provided the impetus for more vigorous and harsh implementation of the duties.

Le Thanh Tung, a representative of the Department of Crop Production, anticipated that the forum would receive views on immediate and future solutions to increase the value of rice production for rice producers, citing a significant disparity in the cost of rice production between provinces.

In percentage terms, fertilizers, pesticides, and labor account for a sizable portion of the present cost of rice production. While seed prices may be reduced, other variables may be decided, thus seed volume reduction should be a major focus.

Apart from addressing the current issue of growing material prices, cost reduction enables rice exporters to improve their competitiveness in the global market.

According to Hoang Van Hong, Deputy Director of NAEC, variety reduction is feasible and many locations have done so without sacrificing production. With regards to the Mekong Delta, Hong stated that by adopting laser technology to level the soil, damage caused by flooding, a high germination rate, and decreased seed quantity will be minimized.

“The effects of decreasing seeds, fertilizers, and medicines are unavoidable. To be precise, if the air humidity in the rice field is not excessive, the illness will be minimized, and if photosynthesis is enough, pests will be decreased," Hong explained.

He noted that the present increase in input prices has a good side effect, as it enables farmers to apply less fertilizer to the plants, resulting in improved grain quality.

Additional solutions required

Dr. Tran Ngoc Thach, head of the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, contributed ideas from a scientist's perspective, analyzing that using good varieties will assist in reducing seed usage, increasing germination rate (>70%), uniformity, and cost of transplanting, while also increasing resistance to pests and diseases, thereby increasing yield.

The requirements of "1 must 5 decrease" include: Must use certified varieties; Reduce seed sown; Reduce nitrogen fertilizer by a reasonable amount while maintaining a balanced N-P-K ratio; Reduce pesticide spraying; Reduce irrigation water; Reduce post-harvest losses.

Thach stated that fertilizers are the most critical input component in ensuring crop production, agricultural product quality, and soil fertility. However, reality demonstrates that the fertilizer utilized is still wasteful, owing to a lack of emphasis on NPK balance, incorrect application, and priming (do not put lime on alum-contaminated soil...), resulting in waste and decreasing the efficacy of fertilizers.

Confronted with this reality, the Institute's pilot projects in Soc Trang, Hau Giang, and Can Tho between 2018 and 2020 showed that decreasing the quantity of seed used (80-100 kg per ha) in conjunction with reducing fertilizer usage in ecological zones can significantly reduce fertilizer consumption.

As a result, Thach concluded that it is feasible to minimize the number of seeds and fertilizers needed by using solutions and manure additions.

Additionally, Le Van Thiet, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, stressed the appropriate use of fertilizers and pesticides through integrated pest management (IPM) programs on rice.

The IPM program was born, and as a consequence, pesticide use was reduced by 40% to 50%, and in many regions by 70% to 80%, compared to the years before 1995. Productivity improved by roughly 10% in regions where IPM was used, and economic efficiency increased from 350 to 700 thousand VND per hectare.

It is critical to foster communication

At the event, Tran Thai Nghiem, Deputy Director of the Can Tho Agriculture and Rural Development Department, stated that it is critical to enhance information about sophisticated technology packages in rice cultivation.

He stated that the production structure should be altered from three to two crops in order to increase soil nutrients. Additionally, encourage the use of technology in rice farming as soon as possible and continue to study and develop mechanical equipment to minimize seed production.

While Tiet Tien Dung, director of the Ca Mau Agricultural Extension Center, stated that reducing input prices, increasing product quality, reducing fertilizers, and reducing medicines are all challenging challenges in general and rice production in particular.

Dung suggested MARD as a way to increase communication regarding the efficacy of seed, fertilizer, and pesticide reduction. Specifically, this shift has the impact of not only lowering costs, but also increasing productivity, quality, competitiveness, and, most importantly, ensuring that customers' safety demands are met.