The first phase will be implemented in three provinces of Đồng Tháp, Long An and An Giang with a total area of 100ha. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Plant Protection Department, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and Lộc Trời Group on Tuesday signed a co-operation agreement on an organic fertiliser development programme.

The programme aims to ensure efficiency and sustainability for modern agriculture and thereby improve the value of Vietnamese rice.

The two sides will implement agricultural production models using organic fertilisers and create opportunities for farmers to shift towards sustainable organic agriculture.

Specifically, the use of organic fertiliser will be applied in the development of an organic rice model and sustainable rice platform (SRP).

In addition, the project will build a nutrient solution to use organic products in growing rice and some fruits such as durian, passion fruit, dragon fruit and green skin pomelo.

The programme will be implemented from 2019 to 2021, with the first phase in Đồng Tháp, Long An and An Giang provinces with a total area of 100ha. Farmers and local officials will be trained on organic rice cultivation procedures and guided to implement SRP standards.

In the second phase, the total area of the model will be raised to 12,800ha in An Giang, Bạc Liêu, Đồng Tháp and Long An provinces.

Huỳnh Văn Thòn, chairman and general director of Lộc Trời Group, said the project will promote the application of organic fertiliser in agricultural cultivation, contributing to bringing farmers to safer production and consistent with modern agricultural trends that are associated with environmental protection. — VNS