Kien Giang expands linked rice production area to meet standards

Investment in deep processing and product consumption

Trung An High-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company and Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in developing high-quality raw material areas in the production, processing and consumption of rice in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle. This is the third largest unit, after Tan Long Group and Loc Troi, to commit to developing a substantial rice material area in Kien Giang province.

Mr. Pham Thai Binh, General Director of Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company, said that the company started investing in agriculture in Kien Giang province in 2012, with special focus on development of rice production on large fields. Trung An Company's investment method with farmers is enclosed including the stages of seeds, agricultural materials, standard production process and product consumption.

Kien Giang province cultivated rice on a total area of ​​715,700 hectares and developed 783 large fields with an area of ​​nearly 75,000 hectares in 2021. The number of large fields consumed by associated businesses is 651 fields, with an area of ​​53,478 hectares.

According to the plan to develop the rice material area in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People's Committee of Kien Giang province, Trung An Company has developed an investment and production development plan to meet businesses' need for raw material areas. In order to develop a raw material area of ​​63,000 hectares in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, Trung An Company will invest in synchronous mechanization, application of drones in production as well as organic processes.

Accordingly, the Company will cooperate in the the construction and development of clean, green and sustainable agriculture in the rice raw material area, ensuring cost reduction in production, and using environmentally friendly products to avoid the greenhouse effect in rice production. On the other hand, the cooperation program will promote the use of organic fertilizers, microorganic organic fertilizers, biological products and biological pesticides, etc. The program will also raise farmers' awareness regarding sustainable and safe rice production following organic processes and removing the use of chemical pesticides.

In addition to developing the raw material area, Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company also invests in a system of intensive processing plants with the aim to increase the value of rice for export. Furthermore, the Company also constructed an organic fertilizer factory to serve production and supply to the market; and ultimately expanding the production area of ​​rice materials in the direction of organic.

Association to develop large fields

According to Mr. Le Huu Toan, Deputy Director of Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province has focused on guiding the development of programs and projects in the direction of restructuring the agricultural sector; raising production capacity for rice as a commodity; building and implementing a safe and sustainable rice production process. Most notably, Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee approved a project in 2021 that aims to develop rice material areas in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle for processing and export from 2021 to 2025, with a scale of 123,000 hectares. Additionally, Kien Giang province has been implementing policies to encourage businesses to invest and establish agricultural product chains.

2,889 hectares of rice production area in Kien Giang province is certified according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP and organic standards. Namely,1,195 hectares are VietGAP certified, 965 hectares are GlobalGAP certified and 729 hectares are organic certified.

According to Mr. Toan, the development of large field rice production has helped farmers improve their awareness in business linkages, change farming practices, promote the application of scientific and technical advances in production, as well as increase incomes. Large field rice production has also created favorable conditions for the agricultural sector, as well as provide local governments with opportunities to sign product consumption contracts with businesses.

Vice Chairman of Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Quoc Anh affirmed that Kien Giang province has the largest rice production area in the country and rice is identified as the main crop of the province. As a part of the agricultural restructuring, Kien Giang focused on building and expanding large fields, with the association and cooperation of businesses and farmers' organizations. The province has recently set up a delegation to meet businesses and call for investment in the agricultural sector. As a result, many large businesses have committed to investing in developing rice material areas in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle.