According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam exported approximately 9.18 million tons of rice in 2024, with an estimated turnover of $5.75 billion. Compared to the previous year, rice exports only increased by 12.9% in volume, but the value surged by 23%.
The country’s rice industry also set a historical record in terms of both output and value since 1989 (the first year Vietnam exported rice) up to the present. Notably, Vietnam has become the first nation globally to produce large-scale high-quality and low-emission rice on one million hectares.
At the conference, “Prime Minister Dialogues with Vietnamese Farmers 2024,” held on the morning of December 31, Mr. Le Thanh Long from An Giang Province shared issues related to the goals of emission reduction, the development of the carbon credit market, and the Project for Sustainable Development of one million hectares of specialized high-quality and low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta region.
Accordingly, Mr. Long asked the government about solutions to promote the carbon credit market and implement the one-million-hectare rice project in the coming time.
Minister Le Minh Hoan shares the story of carbon credits in the one-million-hectare high-quality rice and emission reduction project in the Mekong Delta. Photo: VGP |
Answering the farmer’s question, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Minh Hoan, said that in implementing the one-million-hectare high-quality rice project, An Giang Province has been very proactive. In the pilot models, An Giang reported a reduction of 20-30% in production costs. Hence, it can be seen that if costs are reduced, farmers’ profits will increase. This is a very positive result.
Regarding carbon credits, the Prime Minister has directed the construction of mechanisms and policies for this commodity market. However, Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized that the carbon credit market is very new to the world and Vietnam. Therefore, the ministries and sectors are unifying to propose to the Government for promulgation.
Along with that, he also noted that we do not talk about how much the sale of these credits will bring in, but the benefits that this project brings are enormous and more useful for Vietnam’s agricultural production.
For instance, straw can be made into pellets or preparations for the next crop. The carbon credit project aims at a broader, more comprehensive goal than just how much money can be made from the sale of credits. I am telling this so that farmers can understand the goal and significance of the carbon credit project,” shared Minister Hoan.
Previously, Minister Le Minh Hoan recognized that the one-million-hectare high-quality rice project in the Mekong Delta is yielding good results for rice farmers. This is considered a revolution to develop the rice industry more strongly and broadly and build the brand of Vietnamese low-emission rice globally.
The head of the agriculture sector also emphasized the goal of restructuring the rice industry sustainably, adapting to climate change, and the trend of global green consumption.
He pointed out that sustainable agricultural development cannot focus solely on yield and output but must also aim to reduce production costs, improve rice quality and value, ensure the environment, and protect farmers’ health.
Therefore, the Minister proposed that authorities, businesses, and cooperatives must accompany farmers. Businesses should commit to buying rice at prices higher than the market to encourage farmers to join cooperatives, create incentives for cooperation, and increase profits. Authorities and committees need to stand side by side, listen, and promptly remove difficulties, thereby creating trust and attachment of farmers to the production chain.
Tam An
– 15:18 31/12/2024
