Vietnam's Mekong Delta farmers embrace greener rice farming for higher profits
Farmers in Vietnam's Mekong Delta are shifting to greener rice farming as part of a national project. The initiative, launched in late 2023, aims to cut emissions while increasing productivity and incomes. Early results show significant improvements in efficiency and profitability for local growers. The Vietnamese government approved the Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality and Low-Emission Rice programme in November 2023. Its goal is to transform rice farming across the Mekong Delta by adopting more sustainable practices.
By the 2024-25 season, the area using these methods had reached 354,839 hectares. Farmers involved in the project have reduced seed use by 45 percent and cut fertiliser application by 30 percent. Pesticide spraying has also dropped by two to three applications per crop. Water consumption has fallen by 20 percent thanks to better irrigation techniques. At the same time, production costs have decreased by 40 percent, while rice yields have risen by an average of 12 percent. As a result, farmers' profits have increased by VNĐ6 million (US$228) per hectare per crop compared with traditional methods. The project now aims to expand to one million hectares of low-emission, high-quality rice within the next one to two years.
The programme has already delivered measurable benefits for farmers and the environment. With lower costs, higher yields, and reduced emissions, the project is on track to reshape rice production in the Mekong Delta. Officials plan to continue scaling up the initiative over the coming years.
