Mekong Delta provinces will loan local farmers over 2.8 trillion VND(133.3 million USD) to buy 6,800 combine harvesters from now to 2017,aiming to reduce rice losses in the harvest stage, an official said.
Thenew machines will bring the total number of these facilities in theregion to 15,500 in order to ensure all rice fields to be cut bymachinery, compared to the current rate of 44 percent.
NguyenPhong Quang, deputy head of the standing board of the Steering Committeefor the Southwestern region, said cooperatives and households who buycombines with over 60 percent of Vietnamese components will be lent thewhole value of the machine. They will also receive 100 percent interestsubsidy for the loan for the first two years and 50 percent in the thirdyear.
The move is part of efforts to cut down the rate of ricelost during harvest from the current 5.6 percent to 2 percent,equivalent to 900,000 tonnes of unhusked rice.
The Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho city said farmers can alsoregain their investment into a combine within two and a half years atthe latest. Added to that, each machine can harvest at least 3hectares of rice a day, which require 30 labourers if done by hand.
The operation costs of a machine are only 2 million VND (95.2 USD) for every hectare, 1 million VND lower than labour cost.
Tofurther help local farmers in buying the machines, Mekong Deltalocalities will simplify procedures, open training courses on the useand maintenance of the machines, and upgrade the irrigation and roadsystems to better the facilities’ access to remote areas.
Accordingto the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute, the region cultivates some4.2 million hectares of rice every year, which generate around 25million tonnes of unhusked rice, accounting for 58 percent of Vietnam’sannual output.
However, due to a shortage of facilities likecombine harvesters, more than 1.4 million tonnes of unprocessed rice or5.6 percent are lost each year during the harvesting process.-VNA
Thenew machines will bring the total number of these facilities in theregion to 15,500 in order to ensure all rice fields to be cut bymachinery, compared to the current rate of 44 percent.
NguyenPhong Quang, deputy head of the standing board of the Steering Committeefor the Southwestern region, said cooperatives and households who buycombines with over 60 percent of Vietnamese components will be lent thewhole value of the machine. They will also receive 100 percent interestsubsidy for the loan for the first two years and 50 percent in the thirdyear.
The move is part of efforts to cut down the rate of ricelost during harvest from the current 5.6 percent to 2 percent,equivalent to 900,000 tonnes of unhusked rice.
The Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho city said farmers can alsoregain their investment into a combine within two and a half years atthe latest. Added to that, each machine can harvest at least 3hectares of rice a day, which require 30 labourers if done by hand.
The operation costs of a machine are only 2 million VND (95.2 USD) for every hectare, 1 million VND lower than labour cost.
Tofurther help local farmers in buying the machines, Mekong Deltalocalities will simplify procedures, open training courses on the useand maintenance of the machines, and upgrade the irrigation and roadsystems to better the facilities’ access to remote areas.
Accordingto the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute, the region cultivates some4.2 million hectares of rice every year, which generate around 25million tonnes of unhusked rice, accounting for 58 percent of Vietnam’sannual output.
However, due to a shortage of facilities likecombine harvesters, more than 1.4 million tonnes of unprocessed rice or5.6 percent are lost each year during the harvesting process.-VNA
