The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) recently held an inauguration ceremony for the Office of the Steering Committee for the Sustainable Development Project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta.

During the ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan highlighted the importance of the Sustainable Development Project for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in association with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 for the transformation of sustainable rice farming practices in the region.

The project will establish and develop large-scale, stable, and high-quality raw material areas, ensuring sustainable and effective agricultural practices.

Mr. Ngo The Hien, Deputy Director of the Planning Department under the MARD and Head of the Project Steering Committee's Office, said that on March 20, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a decision to establish the Project Steering Committee's Office.

The Project Steering Committee's Office has coordinated with several organizations to hold a conference to kick off the project in Kien Giang Province.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, the Project Steering Committee has been diligently executing its assigned tasks.

Barring any unforeseen changes, by August 2024, low-emission rice products are expected to be introduced with the foundational standards released by the Department of Crop Production.

Nevertheless, to ensure the legal recognition of low-emission rice products, the MARD has been coordinating with organizations and local authorities in the Mekong Delta region to implement five pilot models of high-quality, low-emission rice, covering a minimum of 250 hectares.

The pilot models will be carried out continuously over three cropping seasons: the summer-autumn, autumn-winter of 2024, and winter-spring of 2025-2026.

At the beginning of May 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will hold meetings with provinces in the Mekong Delta region, relevant organizations, and entities to discuss and develop the legal framework for emissions reduction payments.

Furthermore, they will engage with the World Bank to align payment mechanisms and levels, which will subsequently be presented to the Government for approval.

SGGP