CẦN THƠ —After three rice cropping seasons, an ongoing initiative to develop low-emissions rice farming in the Mekong Delta has been hailed as a success, with Vinarice named as the leading enterprise on the project.

According to an independent verification report by Regrow Agriculture Company in the US, the 'Transforming Rice Value Chains for Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta' (TRVC) project has shown tangible results in promoting high-quality, low-emissions rice production in the delta region.

Of the companies participating in the project, Vinarice, a member of Vinaseed Group, has emerged as the top enterprise in terms of implementation scale, emissions reduction and award value.

At an awards ceremony for the 2025 summer-autumn crop (Season 3) of the TRVC project held on May 19, participants quoted the Regrow report as confirming that Vinarice ranked first.

The company has 27,003ha under implementation, representing an average emissions reduction of 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per hectare, farmer profit margins reaching over 49 per cent and total prize money of AUD$339,784 (approximately US$243,000).

Participants honouring 10 pioneering enterprises leading the transition to low-emissions rice production in the Mekong Delta at the award ceremony for the 2025 summer-autumn crop (Season 3). Photo courtesy TRVC

In the first season, summer-autumn 2024, Vinarice joined the project with only 997ha as a pilot model. By the winter-spring 2024–2025 crop, the company's project area had grown to more than 20,518ha.

For the 2025 summer-autumn crop, this figure further expanded to over 27,000ha, demonstrating the rapid scalability of the sustainable, low-emissions rice farming model.

Over the course of three TRVC cropping seasons, Vinarice has worked with more than 11,000 farming households, with a cumulative area exceeding 48,518ha, accounting for 57 per cent of the project’s total area. Total emissions reductions reached 183,977 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 57 per cent of the project’s overall emissions cuts.

The TRVC project is a five-year programme funded by the Australian government and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The initiative supports the implementation of a Vietnamese project to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emissions rice cultivation linked with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030. The project is being carried out in An Giang, Đồng Tháp and Kiên Giang provinces from 2023 to 2027.

Since August 2023, the project has selected participating enterprises to apply sustainable farming practices, including input management, straw management, alternate wetting and drying irrigation techniques and cultivation methods aligned with the one million hectare low-emissions rice programme.

Last year's summer-autumn crop marked the third completed season of the project, with the participation of 10 enterprises.

A combine harvester operates on a low-emissions rice field under the TRVC project in the Mekong Delta. VNS Photo

All participating companies met the project’s requirements, including ensuring a minimum 30 per cent profit margin for farmers, integrating gender equality and social inclusion policies, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions as verified independently.

According to Regrow’s assessment, sustainable rice production models implemented during the 2025 summer-autumn crop generated positive economic, social and environmental outcomes.

Average farmer profit margins reached 49.3 per cent in Đồng Tháp Province and 51.6 per cent in An Giang Province, while the overall project average hit 50.8 per cent, well above the initial target of 30 per cent. Total emissions reductions amounted to 164,494.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

At the awards ceremony, SNV Country Director Christie Getman said that after three seasons, the TRVC project has demonstrated that transitioning to low-emissions rice production is entirely feasible with close collaboration among businesses, cooperatives, farmers and development partners.

“Participating enterprises have piloted various advanced rice production models, promoting more efficient use of seeds, fertilisers and irrigation, while contributing to greenhouse gas emissions reductions without compromising productivity and profitability,” she said.

Drawing from the TRVC project’s implementation experience, PAN Group and its member companies, including Vinaseed, Vinarice and VFC, are continuing to refine integrated solutions for the development of a sustainable, high-quality, low-emissions rice industry. One area receiving particular attention is the development of carbon credits in rice production.

Nguyễn Thị Trà My, CEO of PAN Group and chairwoman of Vinaseed, said that successfully transforming the rice sector towards high-quality, low-emissions production required a value-chain approach, spanning seeds, cultivation, crop protection, procurement, processing, branding and market development.

“If value chains are organised systematically and meet international standards, emissions reductions can be recognised as carbon credits, creating new value for Việt Nam’s rice industry and generating additional income for farmers,” she said.