Can Tho (VNA) – A workshop on new techniquesunder the Consortium for Unfavourable Rice Environments (CURE) was held in CanTho city on January 30, highlighting the need to turn challenges intoopportunities for Mekong Delta agriculture.

Prof. Bradford Mills from the US’s University ofVirginia said saltwater and flood prevention, a traditional agriculturalpractice in the Mekong Delta, no longer matches modern agriculturaldevelopment. Studies show that using farming plant varieties and animal breedsthat suit local soil conditions will help turn challenges into opportunities.

Agreeing, CURE expert Jeffrey Alwang said theMekong Delta needs to plan agricultural activities according to agro-ecologicalzones, elaborating that in upper river areas, agricultural production should beswitched to eight crops per three years, including rice-aquatic farming,rice-lotus farming and luc binh (water hyacinth) farming. 

Instead of preventing saline intrusion in theriver mouth and coastal areas, farmers should consider saltwater as a naturalresource and adopt crops other than rice such as rice-shrimp farming andfarming of saltwater aquatic species. Meanwhile, integratedagriculture-forestry like cajuput-aquaculture and cajuput-rice-aquacultureshould be promoted in the Ca Mau Peninsula, which has submerged forests. 

Nguyen Thi Lang, Director of the Mekong DeltaInstitute for High Technology Agriculture Research, suggested solutions toimprove Vietnamese rice quality, aiming to export rice to demanding marketsinstead of shipping up to one-third of total rice exports to China like atpresent.

She said scientists need to advise theGovernment about communication strategies and training to raise farmers’adaptability to high-tech agriculture. It is also important to develop ricevarieties tolerant of harsh natural conditions and climate change.

Lang added her institute is transferringsaltwater, flood and drought tolerant varieties which have been successfully pilotedin many provinces.-VNA