Dong Thap (VNS/VNA) - More rice farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have switchedto growing high-quality rice varieties, which sell well and offer high profits.

More than 60 percent of rice planted in Dong Thap are high-quality ricevarieties, up 4.2 percent against two years ago, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

These rice varieties include Jasmine 85, Nang Hoa 9, OM4900, OM 6976, Dai Thom8 and DTM 126.

The province, which is one of the delta’s largest rice producers, grows morethan 520,000ha of rice a year with an annual output of 3.3 million tonnes.

Nguyen Van Phuc, who owns a 2ha rice field in Thap Muoi District’s Phu DienCommune, said he switched from growing low-quality IR 50404 rice to the highquality DaiThom 8 rice in the 2019 - 2020 winter –spring rice crop. 

He harvested a yield of 8 tonnes of paddy per hectare in the 2019 - 2020winter – spring rice crop, up 1 tonnes against the 2018 - 2019winter – spring rice crop. He sold Dai Thom 8 rice for 1,000 VND higher than normalrice varieties.

Farmers and co-operatives that grow high-quality rice varieties have signedfarm contracts with rice companies to guarantee outlets and stable prices.

The ThuanTienAgriculture Services Cooperative in Cao Lanh District’sGaoGiongCommune has signed farm contracts with companies to produce high-quality rice.

According to Nguyen Thanh Hung, chairmanof the Thuan Tien, the cooperative’shigh-quality rice is guaranteed an outlet with a price of 150 – 200 VND a kilogramme higher than the market price.

The cooperative members earn a profit that is 15 – 20 percent higher thanbefore and have stable outlets.

About 46 percent of the province’s rice growing areas have been guaranteedoutlets by rice companies.

To supply high-quality rice varieties for farmers, the province has conductedresearch and planted several new high-quality rice varieties suited to its soiland weather conditions.

Le NgocHoa of the Dong Thap High-Tech Agriculture Application Centre said the provincehad planted on a pilot basis two new varieties – RD71 and AD61 – in HongNgu and Tan Hongdistricts.

The two rice varieties are high quality, have a short maturity period, andyield 6 -7 tonnes per hectare.

HongNgu and TanHongdistricts are also expanding the cultivation of other high-quality ricevarieties like OM 221 and OM 124 as they have a high yield of seven tonnes perhectare.

In the ongoing 2020 -21 winter – spring rice crop, the province targets growingabout 200,000ha, focusing on high-quality varieties that meet market demand andare resistant to disease, according to the province’s Plant Cultivation andProtection Sub-department. 

Nguyen Van Muoi, director of the Tan ThuanAgriculture Services Cooperative in Chau ThanhDistrict’s An Phu ThuanCommune, said: “For the 2020 - 2021winter-spring rice crop, the co-operative decided to grow rice varieties thathave high quality and high yield to increase profit for its members.”

Dong Thap authorities in recent years have encouraged farmers to turnineffective rice fields to other high-value crops like fruit and aquaculture.

The average profit of fruits is about 370 million VND (16,000 USD) per hectarea year, 3 - 8 times higher than profits from rice cultivation, according tofarmers.

TranVan Nam in Thap Muoi District’s Thanh My Commune hasswitched from rice to growing lime on his 1.3ha rice field. He now earns aprofit of 400 million VND (17,300 USD) per hectarea year.

More rice farmers have also rotated the cultivation of rice in the rainy seasonand other short - term crops like sesame in the dry season to save irrigationwater and prevent the spread of rice diseases.

Rice farmers in the province have converted more than 16,240 ha of rice fieldsto high-value crops like fruit, vegetables, flower and ornamental plants andaquaculture, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment./.