Bright prospects for export-oriented rice production
Hai Phong has around 107,300 hectares of rice, including large areas of high-quality and organic rice, providing a solid foundation for developing export-oriented production zones.
Developing safe, quality production zones
Tran Van Trung, Director of Kien Quoc Agriculture JSC., welcomed the news that ST25 rice grown on a 40-hectare riverside ragworm field in Nghi Duong Commune has been awarded USDA Organic certification by the US Department of Agriculture. It is the first unit in northern Vietnam to receive the certification.
According to Trung, USDA Organic is a stringent organic standard, requiring products to contain at least 95% organic ingredients while prohibiting the use of hazardous chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms. The certification is expected to help Hai Phong's organic and high-quality rice products gain access to export markets.
According to the Cultivation and Plant Protection Division under the Hai Phong Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city cultivates around 107,300 hectares of rice each year. Average yield reaches about 6.3 tons per hectare per crop, with annual output of approximately 675,000 tons. Of this, around 500,000 tons are locally consumed to ensure food security, while the remainder is supplied to other localities and targeted for export.
In recent years, many localities have shifted to cultivating high-quality rice varieties to meet market demand. High-quality and specialty rice varieties now account for 60 - 70% of the city's total rice-growing area.
Especially, Hai Phong also enjoys favorable conditions for developing organic rice in riverside tidal areas where ragworms naturally thrive. Around 1,700 hectares of such farming areas have been established in the communes of Nghi Duong, An Khanh, An Hung, An Quang, Quyet Thang, etc., producing approximately 8,000 tons of high-quality organic rice each year.
Expanding production
Many farmers say growing high-quality and organic rice has increased both the value of their products and their incomes, particularly when products meet export requirements.
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According to Luong Thi Kiem, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Agriculture and Environment, the sector will advise the city on planning and sustainably expanding organic ragworm rice and high-quality rice production zones. Priority will also be given to applying science and technology and digital transformation in production management.
The city will continue strengthening value chain linkages, developing product brands, obtaining growing area codes and expanding consumption markets, with the goal of increasing rice exports.
Over the past time, Bao Minh Agricultural Products Processing and Trading JSC., Kien Quoc Agriculture JSC. and New Generation Agriculture JSC., together with Thuy Huong Agricultural Services Cooperative and Thang Thuy Cooperative, have worked closely with farmers to purchase high-quality rice, supply safe agricultural materials and provide standardized production processes, gradually reducing the overuse of pesticides.
Meanwhile, local authorities have strengthened links among farmers, cooperatives, businesses, distributors and consumers, helping expand market access, increase the added value of Hai Phong rice and lay the groundwork for the city's rice products to gradually enter export markets.
HUONG AN