Mekong Deltas rice yield rises in winter-spring crop

An Giang (VNA) – Localities in the Mekong Delta region recorded high rice output for their winter-spring rice crop in 2016-2017 despite a decrease in cultivation area and the spread of diseases, heard a conference in An Giang province on March 15.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the region has harvested 10,259 million tonnes of rice in the crop, up 188,375 tonnes from the same period in 2015-2016.

The region planted more than 1.5 million ha of rice in the crop, down 22,630 ha against the previous winter-spring crop, with an average yield of 6.7 tonnes a hectare.

The ministry said in the rest of 2017, drastic measures will be put forth to deal with poor weather and the impacts of climate change such as drought and saline intrusion.

The region will plant over 1.6 million ha of rice in the 2017 summer-autumn crop, hoping to reach an estimated output of 9.45 million tonnes, up nearly 437,000 tonnes against the 2016 summer-autumn crop.

Meanwhile, the area of the autumn-winter crop is set to decline more than 10,443 ha compared to the same crop of 2016, aiming for a yield of nearly 4.56 million tonnes, more than 126,000 tonnes higher than the 2016 autumn-winter crop. 

Rice varieties resistant to drought and salt water such as OM 6976, OM 2517, OM 5629, among others, will be used for the crops. 

According to MARD Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh, over 800,000 ha of the 2016-2017 winter-spring crop has not yet been harvested, so regional localities need to take measures to achieve maximum output. 

He also suggested regional farmers plant high-quality rice varieties.

Agencies under the MARD and localities in the region were asked to pay attention to fighting plant-diseases, especially in the context of unfavourable weather at present.