Promotion of Sustainable Organic Farming in Mekong Delta in Vietnam
Case Study Session
Dr. Pham Thi Hoa, RCE Southern Vietnam
12th Asia-Pacific Regional RCE Meeting
4-6 June, 2019, Hangzhou, China
PPT BIJNOR COUNTING Counting of Votes on ETPBs (FOR SERVICE ELECTORS
Promotion of Sustainable Organic Farming in Mekong Delta in Vietnam
1. Promotion of sustainable organic
farming in Mekong Delta in Vietnam
RCE Southern Vietnam
Dr. Pham Thi Hoa
2. 1. Background information – Project objectives,…
2. Project methodology
3. Findings on the situation of organic farming in
Mekong delta.
4. Research for more technical solutions which can
effectively used in organic farming
5. Information dissemination
Presentation outline
5. *From 2018, Vietnamese government start implementing many institutional supports for
organic agriculture development to meet the increasing demand for organic products.
However, the country still puts priorities on conventional farming to ensure food security.
However, organic farming in Vietnam is still underdeveloped.
Many farmers still hesitate to invest in organic farming due to
high costs, strictly requirements different (to get certification),
and under-established output market.
6.
7. Current situation raise up the need for The regional center of
Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in
Southern Vietnam (RCE Southern Vietnam) implementing the
project:
“Promotion of sustainable organic
farming in Mekong Delta in Vietnam”
9. The project main goal is to promote sustainable organic farming in the provinces in
Southern Part of Vietnam.
In specific, the project aims to propose suitable farming models for sustainable
organic agriculture that can be applied in different conditions of Mekong Delta.
10. The project achievement will provide necessary
information for local stakeholders and government
agencies to develop their plans and policy to develop
the organic agriculture of the province.
This project also aim at building capacity for the
farmers related to organic agriculture technique
12. To understand about the
potentials for sustainable
organic agriculture in
Southern provinces in
Vietnam, several field trips to
the agriculture sites in
Mekong Delta, as well as
several focus group
interviews with provincial
stakeholders were
conducted.
Project methodology (cont.)
13.
14. 3. Findings on the status of organic farming in Mekong delta
15. At present, almost provinces in Mekong Delta as well as Ho Chi Minh
City still apply the conventional agriculture activities.
With the support of local and regional planning policies, the general
trend for agricultural development in several agricultural areas
(such as Hochiminh City and Long An province) is high-tech farming
orientation, funded by government or provincial budget under the
project "Application of high technology associated with
restructuring of agriculture”.
16. Currently, Long An Province has funded 14 models of high-tech vegetable
production farms, with a total area of over 630 hectares.
Farmers were instructed to produce safe vegetables in accordance with
VietGAP or Global standards. The vegetables are produced in green houses, in
combination with automatic irrigation systems and use of plant protection
drugs in the correct dosage and proper time of isolation.
17. VietGap or GlobalGap are the main standards applied by many farms and agriculture
companies in Mekong Delta
For example: the Thạnh Lợi Agricultural service cooperatives in Long An province is
currently producing both VietGap Dragonfruit and GlobalGap Lime in their farming sites.
18. Similarly, the Biotechnology Center Of Ho Chi Minh City also develops their
researches to support the high-technology agriculture models following the
policy of the city government.
Their scientists are currently performing the selection of genetically modified
plants with good characteristics and qualities for improving agricultural
production.
19.
20. Currently, some companies/farms in Mekong Delta are maintaining their
organic farming business despite many difficulties, such as: lacking of
government planning for organic agriculture; less developed of output
market, technical know-how is limited, low productively, cross
contamination from adjacent conventional farms
2nd finding: Some organic agriculture
models available in Mekong Delta
21. 1st case: Mono plantation of organic vegetable.
There is a show-case for organic farming funded by
private fertilizer company, display the high potential
for organic farming model in the locality.
At the Muoi-Hai Co-operative in Long Khe
Commune, Long An Province, Mr. Le Van Giau – the
farm owner, confirmed that his organically grown
vegetables field can archive as good productivity as
conventional cultivation method. However, the cost
for organic field was surplus the non-organic field
22. Although the area for organic cultivation performed by Mr. Giau
still in the experimenting stage, but there is a potential for this
farm to play as demonstrational model for organic and semi-
organic agriculture promotion in Long An Province.
23. 2nd case: Mono-culture of organic rice and fish
Vien Phu Production and Trading Joint Stock Company is one of the pioneers in organic
agriculture in Vietnam, with 180 ha of paddy field, 40 ha of fishery ponds, and 80 ha of
vegetables in Ca Mau Province. The Hoa Sua Rice, their major product, was certificated
as the organic product by USDA in 2014.
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27. 3rd case: Agro-Forestry model
Another model of successful organic farming also located in Ca Mau Province,
that is The Wood Processing Import & Export Ca Mau Company. The company
is utilizing the farming field for the wood growing and processing combining
with the production of Cavendish banana.
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31. 4nd case: Integrated mangrove- shrimp farming
The eco-prawn from Minh Phu Seafood Corp. is also a organic-certificated
product cultivated in Ca Mau Province. This farming model is called eco-prawn
because the prawns are cultured in the ponds covered by the forest canopy. The
shrimps develop naturally after seedling, and will be harvested by farmers and
distributed by Minh Phu Company. The product was certificated by Naturland
Association for Organic Agriculture.
32.
33. 5nd: The Prawn-Rice rotational cropping
There is one special farming model in Ca Mau province is
considered highly likely to be the next organic specialty of the
Province
34. Prawn was raised on the same rice
cultivation area. After a prawn crop,
the aquaculture waste is converted
and absorbed by the rice in the next
cultivation. In contrast, after the rice
crop, the decomposed straw creates
the habitat and natural food source
for prawns in the next crop.
35. As a result, this model contributes to reducing production
costs, increasing productivity and profitability. The rice prawn
model also has the advantage of high survival rate of seed and
low risk for both agro-products growing on that area.
36. With a large area preserved for agriculture and aquaculture
and many successful organic models currently operating,
Ca Mau can be considered a potential major point for
developing organic farming center in Mekong Data.
37. The finding from agriculture models from Mekong Delta has revealed 3 key
points required for a successful organic agriculture farm:
Suitable local natural conditions and resources.
Low-cost cultivation process with high productivity.
Stable output market for the product.
38. The current organic farms in Mekong Delta still have to face with
many difficulties to maintain their business. Presently, there is no
official support policy for organic agriculture in the provinces.
Organic businesses have to raise their own funds, manage to perform
their farming method and product output.
39. 4. Research for more technical solutions which can
effectively used in organic farming
40. To promote stronger development of organic products, project
also aims at researching for more technical solution which can be
applied in organic farms, and can be adapted to local conditions
41. The research component covered the following topics:
Research and transfer methods to enhance the soil
fertilities (from 2016-2017).
Research and transfer water treatment system for
water re-circulation in farms (from 2016-2018).
42. The model provided option for a
low-cost treatment of soil in
agricultural areas using
biomass of locally abundant
plants, for example water
hyacinth, that can be harvested
from the existing pond or river
nearby.
This is an integrated solution, in
which water hyacinth can
absorbed water pollution, and
later be used as soil conditioner.
Unlocking Potential of Aquatic Plant and Macro-Algae
as Soil Enhancer for Supporting Agriculture Sector
Enhancing the soil fertilities in agriculture areas with aquatic plants and macro-algae
43. The project is performed to research on
the ability of water hyacinth’s biomass
utilization reasonably in wastewater
treatment and soil improvement to
reduce the harmful effects of this invasive
plant to environment and develop the
biological fertilizer sources from water
hyacinth. After the treatment, the aquatic
plant was harvested to be used as natural
fertilizer and then as soil enhancer at the
end of process.
Evaluate the potential of water hyacinth
as soil enhancer
45. Project findings were disseminated in two workshop with local
stakeholders and farmers.
The workshop brought experts in the field together, share
project finding and discuss the potential as well as methodology
for further developing of organic agriculture in Southern
Provinces of Vietnam.
48. With this project, we found that:
Feasible organic farming models are available at the places
But organic farming practice need even more support for
the change in large scale taking place.
