Farmers and enterprises collaborate to produce rice with USDA organic standards

Kien Giang Province now has 2 farmers’ organizations specialized in producing rice that has been granted with USDA organic certification, which has brought high added value.

In recent years, Kien Giang Province has attracted many businesses to invest in agriculture, apply high technology to rice production and meet organic standards. Photo: Trung Chanh.

As the locality with the leading rice production area in the country, Kien Giang Province has an annual sowing area of over 720,000 hectares and an output of more than 4.5 million tons. In particular, the U Minh Thuong area mainly produces one rice crop and one shrimp crop (rice - shrimp), which is very suitable for rice production according to organic processes, VietGAP, GlobalGAP...

According to Nguyen Van Tung, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Minh district, the locality has an area of 38,900 hectares for rice-shrimp production, divided into two main areas – one spanning from Chong My canal to Xeo Ro canal, with an area of 21,600 ha and the other from Xeo Ro canal to KT5 canal with the production area of about 17,300 ha.

Recently, the district's rice production has been effectively switched to the improved model of rice – shrimp in combination with raising giant freshwater shrimp or sea crab. Quality rice varieties such as: OM 5451, ST 5, ST 24, ST25, BN1 have been cultivated. Many farmers’ organizations (cooperatives) have cooperated and signed rice consumption contracts with Dai Duong Xanh Company (ST 5 organic rice), Loc Troi Group (BN1 rice), Ho Quang Tri Company (ST. 24), which has created an efficient and sustainable value chain.

According to Tung, models of producing rice according to international standards have been implemented in the locality since 2017 and gradually expanded to a wider area to date. If the initial area was less than 10 hectares, Dai Duong Xanh Company had implemented a model of cultivating ST5 rice variety on a total area of 270 hectares in collaboration with Thanh An and Thanh Hoa cooperatives (in Dong Thanh Commune), Thuan Phat Cooperative (in Dong Hung Commune) by 2019, bringing a net profit of over VND22 million /ha to farmers.

This year, Blue Ocean Company has continued to conduct the organic rice model and signed product sales contracts with Thanh An and Thuan Phat Cooperatives on a total area of 358 hectares that is cultivated with ST5 and violet rice varieties. Thanks to this year’s favorable natural conditions, the rice has developed well and been ready to harvest.

"The cooperation in implementing the organic rice production model is quite favorable when all farmers have supported and wished to expand the contracted area for organic rice production. The local authority of An Minh District has chaired a discussion, inviting relevant units to share and handle difficulties to develop production in the coming time,” Tung said.

Organic standard certification granted by the US Department of Agriculture is the most stringent one... This organization requires that only products containing 95% organic ingredients could use their logo. For organic crops, USDA certification guarantees that radiation, sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms are not used.

The investment in agriculture, including rice production, has grown strongly in Kien Giang Province in recent years.

According to Le Huu Toan, Deputy Director of Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, 290 enterprises have been granted business registration in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fishery in 4 years (2017-2020), with a total registered capital of VND 2,490 billion.

In particular, a number of business have invested in commodity agricultural production and apply high-tech agriculture such as: Trung Son Joint Stock Company (aquaculture and processing), Agriculture Joint Stock Company Trung An high-tech (linking rice production and consumption), Ecological Farm Joint Stock Company (linking clean vegetable production and consumption).…

Agricultural extension and branding of agricultural products have received great attention and investment from the province. Through programs and projects of central and local governments, new technical advances in plants, animals, and new farming methods have been transferred, which therefore has raised farmers' awareness in production, improving productivity, quality and income value.

In 2020, the whole province had 21 collective brand products, mainly originating from agriculture. Such products have been introduced to the markets and highly appreciated such asTac Cau pineapple, U Minh Thuong dried snakeskin gourami, An Bien - An Minh blood clam, Phu Quoc pepper, among others.