Farmers in Sóc Trăng Province harvest rice planted under the organic rice - fish farming model. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Phi

SÓC TRĂNG — Farmers in Sóc Trăng Province are reaping the benefits of organic rice cultivation, experiencing increased profits thanks to reduced production costs and premium market prices.

Bùi Hữu Tính, a member of the Tân Hưng Phú Co-operative in Long Phú District's Tân Hưng Commune, reported earnings of VNĐ52 million (US$2,000) per hectare in the 2023-24 winter-spring rice crop, an increase of VNĐ10-12 million ($400 - 480) compared to previous years.

By adopting organic farming practices for four consecutive crops on his 10-hectare field and implementing disease management techniques guided by local agricultural officials, Tính has achieved a 20-30 per cent reduction in costs compared to conventional methods.

Encouraged by these positive results, Tính intends to continue organic rice cultivation in the upcoming 2024-25 winter-spring crop, driven by its high profitability, environmental friendliness and guaranteed market demand.

Hồ Thanh Liêm, director of the Tân Hưng Phú Co-operative, announced plans to cultivate 501 hectares of organic rice in the forthcoming winter-spring crop, primarily focusing on the premium ST 25 and Đài Thơm varieties.

Liêm said after the Long Phú District People's Committee initiated the organic rice model in 2023, co-operative members have enthusiastically embraced the practice, recognising its environmental benefits, profitability and potential for income growth.

Lâm Văn Vũ, head of the Long Phú Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted the cost advantages of organic farming.

Compared to traditional methods, it reduces production costs by VNĐ4 million ($160) per hectare while increasing yields by 0.2-0.4 tonnes.

It prioritises the use of organic fertilisers and biological pesticides, significantly reducing chemical inputs, minimising environmental pollution, safeguarding farmers’ health and producing clean, high-quality rice.

In the 2024-25 winter-spring crop, the district aims to cultivate over 1,100 hectares of organic rice.

Farmers and co-operatives engaged in organic rice production have forged strong partnerships with rice companies to secure stable sales and fair prices.

Ngã Năm Town has approximately 1,000 hectares of clean rice, with farmers, co-operatives and rice companies collaborating closely.

It specialises in producing high-quality fragrant rice varieties like ST 24 and ST 25 that are renowned worldwide.

Many companies are collaborating with rice farmers to promote the use of organic and biological products, such as organic fertilisers and biological pesticides.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is actively implementing a plan to develop organic agriculture from 2022 to 2030 that emphasises strong partnerships between the government, scientists, businesses, and farmers to drive organic agriculture development.

The primary goal is to combine environment-friendly agricultural practices with a circular agricultural economy to cater to both domestic and export markets.

By 2030, the target is to increase the organic output per hectare to 1.5-1.8 times that of non-organic produce.

The department has developed farming processes for 32 organic farming models, covering fruits, rice, beef cattle, and integrated farming systems like rice-fish, rice-shrimp and shrimp-forest.

It has supported 14 of them with applying for organic certification.

Ngã Năm Town has implemented three organic farming models: rice-fish farming and the cultivation of Ruby guava and soursop on nearly 20 hectares.

Võ Văn Bé, head of the Ngã Năm Economy Bureau, said farmers participating in the plan receive various kinds of support, including organic fertilisers, biological pesticides, soil and water quality analysis, organic farming techniques, and assistance in developing product labels and traceability systems.

Organic farming models offer a significant advantage, with profits exceeding those from conventional methods by more than 15 per cent.

Nguyễn Văn Thuỷ, a farmer in Ngã Năm Ward 2, has successfully implemented the organic rice-fish farming model on his two-hectare field for the last four crops.

He has reduced production costs and increased profits by 30 per cent compared to conventional methods.

He earns an impressive annual profit of VNĐ200 million ($7,900) from cultivating ST 25 rice and breeding fish in his rice field.

Trần Tấn Phương, deputy director of the department, said the province currently has 12,745 hectares of rice under organic cultivation.

Sóc Trăng is actively participating in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's project for the sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta.

Under this project, it successfully cultivated 50ha of rice during the last summer-autumn crop, generating profits of VNĐ40 million ($1,600) per hectare.

It aims to further increase the area under this project. VNS