Linkage of rice seed production, many advantages
In recent years, many seed companies have come to Binh Dinh to work with agricultural cooperatives to produce rice seeds to supply farmers in the northern provinces. So far, Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee has approved 8 rice seed production linkage projects under Decision 38/2019/QD-UBND of July 19, 2019, covering an area of more than 982 hectares and 4,276 participating farmer households.
Heads of Binh Dinh Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development visit the rice seed production field of 2 Nhon Tho Agricultural Cooperative (An Nhon City, Binh Dinh). Picture: VDT
According to Mr. Pham Van Tan, Director of Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho (An Nhon City, Binh Dinh), participating farmers will receive input support in setting up a rice seed production chain, including materials, seeds, technology; Products are consumed by businesses at a higher price than commercial rice. Companies buy 1 kg of rice seeds and pay 1.3 kg of commercial rice, so people’s income increases. The cooperative is an intermediary entity with more profits to expand operations, form more links…
The most obvious advantage of linking rice seed production is the formation of a centralized production chain, which ensures quality and stability of consumption and increases economic efficiency per unit acreage, increasing the connecting role in consumption of local agricultural products.
“For many years, Nhon Tho 2 Agricultural Cooperative has maintained the link between rice seed production and consumption with Thai Binh Seed Corporation Joint Stock Company (ThaiBinh Seed) and Vietnam Seed Group Joint Stock Company Nam (Vinaseed). Our cooperative works with the above two companies to produce rice seeds 2 crops per year covering more than 200ha.
In the winter-spring harvest of 2022-2023, the cooperative will produce about 110 ha of seed rice. In this winter-spring crop, the price of commercial rice in the region ranges from 7,100 to 7,800 VND/kg, but rice seed imported for enterprises costs 9,500 VND/kg, which is quite profitable for farmers producing rice seed in this season The Season just won,” said Mr. Pham Van Tan, Director of Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho.
Rice Seed Drying Yard of 2 Nhon Tho Agricultural Cooperative (An Nhon City, Binh Dinh). Picture: VDT
Up to now, there are 57 agricultural cooperatives in Binh Dinh, which have established a chain of linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products, including seed rice, maize (maize), peanuts (peanut), but most are related to rice production. How.
Units that have maintained their connection for many years and help bring income to typical farmers, such as B. Nhon Tho 2 Agricultural Cooperative (An Nhon City); Phuoc Hung, Phuoc Son 1 and Phuoc Son, Phuoc Quang and Phuoc Hiep (Tuy Phuoc District); Ngoc An (Hoai Nhon City); An Tin, Youth (Hoai An District); Tay Giang, Tay Thuan, Thuan Nghia (Tay Son District)…
Connected rice seed production tends to decrease
Farmers who participate in the production of rice seed benefit not only from increased income, but also from access to technical advances in rice cultivation. However, apart from the eight rice seed production projects approved by the Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee since 2019, there have been no new connections so far, and the production area has tended to decrease.
According to Binh Dinh Plantation and Plant Protection Authority, in the last winter-spring harvest of 2022-2023, this province has implemented 8 major field projects connecting rice seed production and 30 rice seed production fields totaling more than 2,000 hectares. 63 hectares mined in the same period. The rice seed production areas are concentrated in An Nhon City, Tuy Phuoc District, Hoai Nhon City and Phu Cat District. In addition, the Tay Son District People’s Committee has approved two plans to link commercial rice production in Binh Tuong Township of 100 ha and Tay Phu Township of 80 ha.
“The area associated with rice seed production has decreased because companies have reduced their purchasing volumes; Many agricultural cooperatives do not guarantee the conditions of warehouses, drying yards, dryers, etc. to meet the dried rice purchasing needs of enterprises.
By participating in the joint rice seed production project, farmers in Binh Dinh have access to technical advances in rice cultivation in addition to increased income. Picture: VDT
Rice seed production in Binh Dinh mainly keeps the old connections with ThaiBinh Seed, Vinaseed, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of South Central Coast… which have been established for many years. The new construction and expansion of crops is difficult because there are no companies involved in the link chain,” said Mr. Kieu Van Cang, director of Binh Dinh Plantation and Plant Protection Subdepartment.
“In the roadmap for the development of collective farms and cooperatives in 2021-2025, Tuy Phuoc District invests in agricultural cooperatives in the region to develop links between production and consumption of agricultural products and gradually stabilize investment in agricultural products. Securing yields for farmers, increasing profitability for cooperatives.
Tuy Phuoc’s strength is the development of models for large fields, connected fields in the production and consumption of rice seeds, the district has policies to support agricultural cooperatives to invest in the construction of warehouses and drying yards to meet the needs of farmers meet enterprise standards and product quality standards,” said Mr. Phan Van Khiem, Head of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuy Phuoc District (Binh Dinh).