Dong Thaps rice output reaches over 3.3 million tonnes

Rice production in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap in 2018 rose 120,000 tonnes to 3.32 million tonnes. (Photo: VNA)

Dong Thap (VNA) – Despite a reduction of more than 17,000 hectares in cultivating land, rice production in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap in 2018 rose 120,000 tonnes compared to the previous year to 3.32 million tonnes.

High-quality rice varieties like OM 4900 and OM 6976 were grown in a combined 520,379 hectares this year, 469 hectares of which followed VietGAP standards. Total rice production is valued at 15.37 trillion VND (661.3 million USD), an increase of 562 billion VND (24.1 million USD) against 2017.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Van Cong attributed the good yield to advanced technology application in rice cultivation which helps reduce input costs and improve production efficiency.

Under the province’s agricultural restructuring project, organic rice farming is piloted in an area of 800 hectares while rice value chain has been set up to help increase local peasants’ profit by up to 4 million VND (172 USD) per hectare per crop.

Particularly, some 90 companies signed contracts with the province to buy more than 293,000 tonnes of rice.

Cong said that in 2019, the province will continue paying attention to improving rice quality and enhancing the use of machines in rice farming. Also, it will work to switch from agricultural production to agricultural economy.