Bayer and the Việt Nam’s National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) have received the “Public-Private Partnership of the Year” award at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024 for its ForwardFarming Initiative.

HCM CITY — Bayer and the Việt Nam’s National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) have received the “Public-Private Partnership of the Year” award at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024 for its ForwardFarming Initiative.

The ForwardFarming Initiative is a joint project between Bayer Vietnam and NAEC under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote sustainable rice cultivation practices in Việt Nam. The award serves as a motivation for Bayer Vietnam to expand its ForwardFarming Initiative to contribute to the sustainable development of rice production in the country.

Việt Nam is pursuing an ambitious plan to become a global agricultural powerhouse by 2030. However, traditional rice cultivation practices prevalent in Việt Nam are not sustainable from an environmental and economic standpoint. Smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Việt Nam’s rice production, often adopt outdated techniques that are not only ineffective but also greatly increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The ForwardFarming Initiative was launched in September 2023 through a three-year partnership between Bayer Vietnam and NAEC, with the participation of various partners in the rice production value chain, including Provincial Agricultural Service Centres, Mekong Delta Rice Institute, Bình Điền Fertiliser Joint Stock Company, Saigon Kim Trading Service Company Limited Hong, Vietnam Rice Company Limited (Vinarice), and others. Its overarching goal is to help Vietnamese farmers strengthen rice yields while mitigating environmental impacts.

Specifically, the initiative has delivered significant and consistent results across three crop seasons, with a 13.5 per cent increase in yield and reductions in inputs, water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and early indications of soil quality improvements compared to traditional practices.

According to the Mekong Delta Rice Institute, the model has significantly improved plant growth, soil quality, and water savings of up to 50 per cent compared to conventional rice farming methods. Importantly, greenhouse gas emissions were also reduced by 24.7 per cent. These outcomes contribute perfectly to improving the output and quality of Vietnamese rice for export and to supporting farmers in building resilient farms.

Additionally, the project has engaged with numerous key stakeholders in the rice production value chain to extend its reach to over 4,500 rice growers, providing training on sustainable farming practices, the safe use of crop protection solutions, and climate change mitigation strategies in agriculture.

"We are grateful for our partnership with NAEC and the dedication of all stakeholders involved in ForwardFarming," said Mateus Barros, cluster head of Crop Science Division, East Asia & Pakistan, Bayer. "This recognition serves as an inspiration for us to leverage our 30 years of experience in Viet Nam, fostering collaboration with more partners across the rice value chain, driving innovation, and placing special emphasis on regenerative farming practices, in order to make a positive and enduring impact in the agricultural sector."

Moving forward, Bayer Vietnam and NAEC have laid out several future plans to advance the ForwardFarming initiative. Ongoing work will focus on conducting further research and evaluations to more effectively decrease greenhouse gas emissions and boost rice quality. The partner network will be expanded to reach more farmers in the Mekong Delta region. This aims to improve the livelihoods of farming communities while also supporting the VietnamGovernment's target of establishing 1 million hectares of sustainable, high-quality, and low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta region.