Agribank takes a proactive role in providing credit for farmers to develop the economy in the Mekong Delta. Photo nhandan.vn

CẦN THƠ – Preferential credit for “tam nông” – agriculture, farmers and rural areas – has emerged as a decisive solution to accelerate restructuring and ensure long-term sustainability in the Mekong Delta.

Through timely lending packages, Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) has provided farmers with the financial foundation to expand production, invest in modern equipment and pursue innovative models.

More than two decades ago, farmer Dương Thái Hoàng and his wife in Phú Hữu Hamlet, Phú Tâm Commune, started their livelihood with 2,000 square metres of rice fields.

Each season brought just enough returns to reinvest in seeds and fertiliser.

Hoping to enlarge his farm and purchase machinery, Hoàng turned to Agribank’s preferential credit. What began with small loans grew into larger ones as his farm business prospered.

Hoàng first borrowed around 2005 to invest in seed rice production.

Gradually, he diversified into orchards and agricultural supplies trading.

Profits were reinvested and working capital topped up with further loans. Today, he has expanded to 20 hectares of rice fields and one hectare of fruit trees, equipped with dryers and seed separators.

Beyond commercial rice, he works with the Mekong Delta Rice Institute to trial new varieties and supply certified seeds. Each season he delivers about 200 tonnes of seed rice to surrounding farmers.

Producing quality seed rice requires higher investment and strict technical standards, yet offers far better returns than commercial rice.

“With Agribank’s timely credit, I can confidently expand seed rice cultivation. I even allow farmers to ‘buy on credit’ at the beginning of the season and only collect payment at harvest. The bank’s capital lets me rotate funds while supporting my neighbours,” Hoàng explained.

A similar success story comes from Trần Văn Phục in Cù Lao Dung Commune.

From a naturally mutated variety in his orchard, Phục spent three and a half years developing a superior pomerac. He named it Mận Hồng Sân Tiên and grew it organically, with support from Agribank’s “tam nông” loans.

Today, the fruit is sold on the market at VNĐ230,000 per kilogram (US$9), four to five times higher than common pomerac varieties.

Planted at an optimum density of forty trees per 1,000 square metres, fertilised with organic compost instead of chemicals, and double-bagged during development to limit pesticide exposure, the fruits are preserved in a cold-chain system.

Strict control ensures food safety and premium quality. The brand has secured intellectual property rights and is in the process of organic certification for 40 hectares.

Phục reinvests methodically. “For every seventy per cent of profit earned, I reinvest by borrowing an additional thirty per cent to expand and upgrade production. Compared with other banks, Agribank’s interest rates are far more favourable for farmers. It is a partnership built for the long run,” he said.

Cù Lao Dung, an island at the end of the Hậu River, is blessed with fertile soil and favourable weather.

Local farmers focus on orchards such as longan, mango, coconut and especially pomerac.

According to vice chairman of Cù Lao Dung People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Đắc, the local economy depends largely on agriculture, with sugarcane, fruit and aquaculture as pillars.

“With Agribank’s timely credit, farming households, co-operatives and production groups have been able to restructure and improve efficiency,” Đắc noted.

Credit packages under Agribank’s “tam nông” programme help turn farmers’ dreams of prosperity into reality in the Mekong Delta. Photo nhandan.vn

Since 2021, Agribank Cù Lao Dung branch in Sóc Trăng Province has disbursed more than VNĐ100 billion ($3.9 million) annually, with outstanding loans now above VNĐ900 billion ($35.4 million).

Branch director Mai Văn Thanh said about ninety-nine per cent of all lending was channelled to ‘tam nông’ projects, with preferential interest rates tailored for small farmers and rural enterprises.

By July 2025, Agribank branches across the Mekong Delta recorded outstanding loans totalling over VNĐ286 trillion ($11.26 billion), of which more than eighty-one per cent served agriculture and rural development.

The Sóc Trăng branch alone accounted for VNĐ16 trillion ($630 million), three-quarters of which was devoted to farmers and rural households.

Interest rates for short-term agricultural loans typically ranged between 6 and 8.5 per cent.

According to Vũ Đình Ty, director of Agribank Sóc Trăng, the branch is expanding credit packages tailored to rural needs, especially in areas underserved by banking networks, to bring financial services to farmers’ doorsteps.

Agribank Sóc Trăng has launched several credit schemes to strengthen local farm sectors – rice, aquaculture and fruit – while encouraging high-tech and clean farming in line with government policy.

Farmers are being supported to invest in machinery, apply modern cultivation and adopt sustainable practices.

From the rice fields of Cần Thơ to the orchards of Cù Lao Dung, the stories of Hoàng and Phục show how preferential “tam nông” loans are not only helping farmers expand their livelihoods but also shaping a more resilient agricultural economy for the Mekong Delta. – VNS