A drone is used to spray pesticides on a rice field under the province’s first advanced rice farming project in Thap Muoi district. (Photo: VNA) Dong Thap (VNA) - The Dong Thap province People’s Committee hasheld a ceremony to celebrate the Mekong Delta province’s first advanced ricefarming project that uses modern techniques in all production stages and usesirrigation water efficiently.
The project is being implemented on 170ha by the My Dong 2 Commune Co-operativein Thap Muoi district.
Under the project, participating farmers use machines and smart devices for allproduction stages such as sowing seeds, fertilising, harvesting and post-harvesthandling.
Participating farmers use slow-release fertiliser buried in soil as well assmart devices that use alternate wet and dry irrigation methods to save water.
They are also using smart devices to monitor brown plant hoppers, which are themain pests on rice fields.
The use of drones to spray pesticides helps farmers reduce the quantity ofpesticide by 10 – 20 percent compared to traditional spraying methods.
Rice produced under the project has traceable origin and is guaranteed salesoutlets under farming contracts.
The production cost of rice planted under the project is about 4,266 VND akilogramme, nearly 400 VND lower than the production cost under traditionalmethods.
The project is estimated to offer a profit of 15.8 million VND (680 USD) perhectare a crop, up nearly 10 million VND (430 USD) compared to rice plantedunder traditional methods.
The project also creates conditions for farmers to exchange farming techniques,which reduces pollution and pesticide residue in rice fields.
Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, saidthat advanced techniques, modern machines and information technology, as wellas linkages among farmers, scientists and rice companies are also beingapplied.
The project has reduced production costs, improved production efficiency, andprotected the environment and farmers' health.
He said the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development andlocal authorities should expand the project to other localities.
The Mekong Delta province, one of the delta’s largest rice producers, has morethan 200,000ha of land devoted to growing rice.
The province’s farmers grow a total of more than 520,000ha of rice in threerice crops a year with an annual paddy output of more than 3.3 million tonnes./.
The project is being implemented on 170ha by the My Dong 2 Commune Co-operativein Thap Muoi district.
Under the project, participating farmers use machines and smart devices for allproduction stages such as sowing seeds, fertilising, harvesting and post-harvesthandling.
Participating farmers use slow-release fertiliser buried in soil as well assmart devices that use alternate wet and dry irrigation methods to save water.
They are also using smart devices to monitor brown plant hoppers, which are themain pests on rice fields.
The use of drones to spray pesticides helps farmers reduce the quantity ofpesticide by 10 – 20 percent compared to traditional spraying methods.
Rice produced under the project has traceable origin and is guaranteed salesoutlets under farming contracts.
The production cost of rice planted under the project is about 4,266 VND akilogramme, nearly 400 VND lower than the production cost under traditionalmethods.
The project is estimated to offer a profit of 15.8 million VND (680 USD) perhectare a crop, up nearly 10 million VND (430 USD) compared to rice plantedunder traditional methods.
The project also creates conditions for farmers to exchange farming techniques,which reduces pollution and pesticide residue in rice fields.
Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, saidthat advanced techniques, modern machines and information technology, as wellas linkages among farmers, scientists and rice companies are also beingapplied.
The project has reduced production costs, improved production efficiency, andprotected the environment and farmers' health.
He said the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development andlocal authorities should expand the project to other localities.
The Mekong Delta province, one of the delta’s largest rice producers, has morethan 200,000ha of land devoted to growing rice.
The province’s farmers grow a total of more than 520,000ha of rice in threerice crops a year with an annual paddy output of more than 3.3 million tonnes./.
VNA
