Enhancing the rice seed production capacity for farmers in the Mekong Delta

On December 12, in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, the Vietnam National Seed Corporation (Vinaseed) held a conference to summarize the project "Establishing a cooperative model for producing seed rice linked with enterprises consuming products in the Mekong Delta" for the period 2022-2024. This project is funded by the National Agricultural Extension Center and implemented under Vinaseed's leadership.

Establishing a strong linkage

Mr. Duong Quang Sau, Deputy General Director of Vinaseed and Project Director, stated that the project was developed based on collaboration among the "four stakeholders" - enterprises, local authorities, cooperatives and farmers. It has been implemented over three years (2022-2024) on a scale of over 2.000 hectares, producing seeds across four provinces: An Giang, Long An, Kien Giang and Dong Thap.

After three years of implementing the project, the enterprises, cooperatives and participating households have gained a much deeper understanding of their roles within the rice seed production chain. As a result, this has led to the formation of specialized production areas. Even after the project’s conclusion, these groups have continued to collaborate with the company. 

This shift marks a significant transformation in the mindset and awareness of the stakeholders involved. It has promoted the idea of establishing sustainable and mutually beneficial production relationships - something that has not been a strong focus in Vietnam's agricultural sector until now. 

In terms of cooperative models, the project has successfully implemented 34 linked cooperative production models. Among these, 7 models are focused on producing foundation rice seeds, which exceeds the initial target by 1 model. Additionally, 27 cooperative models have been established for producing certified first-generation rice seeds, surpassing the target by 15 models. These cooperatives involved a total of 709 households, which accounted for 61% of the target participation. 

Compared to the initial objectives, the project achieved and exceeded many of its targets by a significant margin. For the breeder seed rice production model, the project covered 160 hectares, reaching 100% of the target. The average yield was 6.2 tons per hectare, surpassing the target by 37%. Economic efficiency increased by 68.7% compared to commercial rice production, exceeding the target by 38.7%.

For the certified level 1 seed rice production model, the project achieved nearly 2,017 hectares, exceeding 100% of the target. The average yield was 5.8 tons per hectare, surpassing the target by 16%. Economic efficiency improved by 50.4% compared to commercial rice production, surpassing the target by 30.4%.

Although the initial target set by the project required the enterprise to commit to purchasing 90% of the original seed rice and 80% of the certified seed rice, Vinaseed, with a strong focus on promoting the production of high-quality certified rice seeds, decided to go beyond the set targets. As a result, the company has purchased 100% of the seed production that meets the required standards. 

The enterprise has purchased 960 tons of original seed rice (150% of the target) and 10,966 tons of certified seed rice (109.7% of the target). The project has also established planting area codes for 92% of the total area, organized 40 training courses for farmers (333% of the target), and conducted 4 training courses to expand the model (100% of the target). 

Kien Binh Cooperative (Tan Thanh District, Long An Province) has been producing seed rice since 2016. Currently, the cooperative collaborates with Southern Seed Corporation (a member of Vinaseed) to produce breeder and certified seed rice. According to Mr. Duong Hoai An, Director of the Cooperative, the high-quality input seeds and the dedicated guidance of technical staff on production processes ensure excellent output quality.

"The cooperative has 20 hectares dedicated to breeder seed production and 50 hectares for certified level 1 seed. Southern Seed Corporation supplies Dai Thom 8 rice variety, which is very suitable for the cooperative's conditions. Compared to other models in the region, the linkage model with Southern Seed Corporation offers 20-25% higher profits and farmers are very pleased", said Mr. Duong Hoai An.

An Giang is one of the three provinces with a large rice production area in the Mekong Delta. Since 2010, the province has focused on socializing rice seeds, also known as community-based rice seed production. From 2010 to 2020, the average annual rice seed production area was between 20.000 and 22.000 hectares. Localities in the province established cooperatives and groups for rice seed production. However, recent issues with seed copyright have slowed the program's progress. Since joining a project led by Vinaseed, An Giang has successfully revived its rice seed program.

Ms. Huynh Dao Nguyen, Director of An Giang Seed Center, stated: “Thanks to the Vinaseed project, farmers have gained access to knowledge on seed propagation. The innovation of the project is the establishment of operational regulations for the rice seed production groups. Additionally, it includes the issuance of planting area codes for cooperatives and farming groups involved in the project. As a result, the productivity of the rice seed production groups has been quite high. The profit has increased by 10-20% compared to when there was no partnership with businesses. Notably, farmers are more engaged and follow the correct procedures, leading to improved seed quality".

Proposal for expanding the model

Looking to the future, Mr. Duong Quang Sau, the Deputy General Director of Vinaseed, made a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the National Center for Agricultural Extension. He suggested that these institutions continue to implement and promote programs and projects that support and prioritize seed production enterprises. This would contribute to ensuring stability and sustainability in rice production, particularly in the Mekong Delta region. More broadly, this approach would also support the development of the entire country’s rice production sector, aligning with the government’s broader goal of building and enhancing the global recognition of the Vietnamese rice brand.

Mr. Doan Van Chien, Head of the Southern Office at the National Center for Agricultural Extension, emphasized that the project was a directive from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development aimed at strengthening the relationships between businesses, cooperatives, and farming households. One of the key objectives was to change the traditional practices and enhance the seed production capabilities of cooperatives. This was achieved by connecting them with seed-producing enterprises that have the necessary resources, expertise, and market reputation to help elevate the cooperatives' production standards.

"Based on the initial results, we can confidently say the project has been highly successful. We hope these results will enable cooperatives and farmers to leverage their progress to further interact with businesses, enhancing cooperatives' capacities to establish standardized raw material areas. This is critical for producing high-quality seed rice for the market", Mr. Chien remarked.

Mr. Chien also noted that the National Agricultural Extension Center, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been assigned to implement models and communication efforts to support the "1 Million Hectares of High-Quality Rice" initiative. This provides a foundation for 12 Mekong Delta provinces participating in the initiative to expand on the project's models, benefiting farmers and particularly cooperatives.

"The project's recommendations are very appropriate. We will compile these and report them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop long-term programs. This will ensure that not only Vinaseed's recommendations but also those from other entities can be effectively applied to production", Mr. Chien affirmed.