DongNai (VNS/VNA) - Around 80,000 smallholderfarmers whose livelihoods and welfare have been severely impactedby COVID-19 will benefit from a globalinitiative by Bayer titled ‘Better Farms, Better Lives.’

The initiative waslocally kicked off yesterday in the southern province of DongNai, is being implemented under the guidance of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, will be carried out incollaboration with Grow Asia (GA), the National Agriculture ExtensionCentre (NAEC) and the ministry’s international cooperation department. 

The pandemic isputting additional socio-economic pressure on vulnerablesmallholders already affected by drought and saltwaterintrusion, especially in Mekong Delta.

Accordingto the organisers, the programme will support 80,000 farmers byproviding free “Better Life Farming” care packages that are tailoredto local needs and will include a combination of Bayer’s seeds, crop protectionproducts and corresponding training materials.  

“Themain goal of the programme is to help smallholders in theMekong Delta maintain and restore their farming activities, respondeffectively to adverse situations such as drought, saltwaterintrusion and the COVID19 pandemic in a sustainable way,ensuring that agricultural products can meet food safety and international standards,”Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the National AgriculturalExtension Center, said.

Incollaboration with Grow Asia, a platform set up by ASEAN to connectagricultural stakeholders, the initiative seeks to expedite recovery incommunities across seven regions in the Mekong Delta andsoutheastern regions, many of which have declared a state of emergency.

It willgrant farmers access to technological solutions for plant protection, andprovide support to 80,000 smallholders in the Mekong Delta, atleast 48 percent ofthem women, through distribution of corn seeds andplant protection products to sustain productivity in the event of drought andsalinity. 

It will also helpimprove the knowledge of agricultural extension trainers and farmers insustainable rice and corn cultivation through support for education, training,transfer of knowledge and practice of good agriculturalpractices (GAP), thereby driving production efficiency and enhancing the incomes ofsmallholders in the Mekong Delta. 

Thisinitiative will focus on women smallholders to ensure they get theresources and knowledge they need to cope with COVID19 and protectthemselves and people around them.

WeraphonCharoenpanit, country commercial lead of BayerVietnam‘s crop science division, said: “Smallholder farmers playa crucial role in ensuring food security for Vietnam, but the ongoing COVID-19situation as well as drought and saltwater intrusion have impacted theirability to grow sufficient food for their families and communities. 

TheBetter Farms, Better Lives initiative will provide immediate additionalsupport to smallholder farmers in the form of agricultural inputs and advisoryduring this summer-autumn crop and beyond. 

Wehope that this project, under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development and together with the National Center for Agricultureand Rural Development, the Department of International Cooperation and GrowAsia, will not only contribute to the resilience of smallholders but alsoensure the stability and sustainability of Vietnam's agricultural sector.”

Beyondthe immediate response in the form of support packages, Bayer is working withpartners to put in place a medium- and long-term plans tobuild the resilience of the country‘s food systems andensure smallholder farmers are better prepared for the future.

NAECwill provide farmers with tools, digital technology and training, handhold themall the way from sowing to harvesting, provide advisories oncrop, disease and pest management and virtual training toimprove their capacity in the use of modern agriculturaltechnologies. 

TrinhThi Moi, a Mekong Delta farmer, said: “This year has beenextremely unusual and unfortunate for our family as well as our neighbours.Salinity affected my field, and it is not gettingbetter and will take time for my family to get back on its feet.Worse still, because of COVID-19, I have earned a much lowerincome than last year, and this is also the lot of my neighborsand other farmers in the area. We are grateful and relieved to see that thereare increasing efforts by the government and influentialorganisations that allows us to recover quicker and continue to deliverquality farm produce to the nation.”

Aspart of its sustainability commitment, Bayer aims to support 100 millionsmallholder farmers in low-and middle-income countries by 2030. Theimmediate COVID-19 response through the Better Farms, Better Livesinitiative complements Bayer’s ongoing smallholder support activities, whichwill aid in mid-term recovery and building long-term resilience among smallholderfarmers./.