Big Sample Field Development: Enterprises Should Take the Leading Role

According to experts, Vietnam owns advantages in agricultural production, particularly rice cultivation with around 6-7 million tonnes exported annually, bringing in over US$3 billion. Therefore, the rice production process needs more positive progresses, arming to increase average output and rice value. Sustainable intensive rice cultivation should be applied along with environmental protection; paddy consumption and raising profit for farmers.

 

Professor Vo Tong Xuan, Rector of An Giang University, an agricultural expert, proposed agricultural production method based on value chain. Specifically, scientists select good varieties and apply proper production processes during the implementation process with farmers to create many varieties of the best quality but having the lowest prices. After that, rice processing companies with modern equipment and machines will produce high-quality rice which can be sold at high prices both inside and outside the country. Therefore, enterprises have to take part in right at the beginning of the process. They have outlets and markets then turn back material areas to seek scientists’ advice for applying which kind of varieties for cultivation.

 

The model “big sample field” is a breakthrough in the agriculture sector and is where the most advanced techniques are applied to raise output and quality of rice, making contribution to improving farmers’ life condition. The most important thing is cooperation between businesses and farmers.

 

Reports at the conference showed that the application of the “big sample field” still faces many difficulties, particularly in the northern region. In the summer-autumn 2012 crop, rice area of the model across the country is estimated at 30,000 ha, mostly concentrating in southern provinces (around 26,000 ha). Among those, An Giang Province has the largest area of 3,857 ha and Ben Tre has the lowest area with 47 ha, attracting around 6,400 households.

 

In winter-spring 2011-2012 crop, the total rice area of the model reached some 20,000 ha. Up to 12 out of 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta region and Tay Ninh Province join the model. In the north, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Hai Duong and many others also take part in this.

 

In Hanoi, the “big sample field”, set up through high-quality paddy programme 2012, is some 7,000ha. Nguyen Ba Suong, Director of the Hanoi Crop Varieties Centre, said, goods production area has received support for training, varieties, essential materials, trade promotion and "The State, enterprises, scientists and farmers” cooperation. However, currently, most of paddy products in the capital are sold by farmers. Dr Vo Van Quyen, from Domestic Market Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said, over the past time, the situation in which Chinese traders purchase Vietnamese farm produces is due to lack of the cooperation among the State, businesses, scientists and farmers, affecting local farmers. The significance is that the implementation of the “big sample field” must be paid attention to from the first steps.

 

Dr Nguyen Tri Ngoc, Head of the Cultivation Department, said, with the motto, “Small farmers but big sample field” will form high-quality paddy material area for both domestic and export demand. This is a new form for combining farmers in the current intensive rice farming.

 

Experts said, the objective of building the model is to apply advanced technologies in an effective and united way on a big area, narrowing the disparity in output among farmers, fields, production areas, raising average output, increasing paddy quality, laying a foundation for international-standard rice production and building Vietnamese rice trademark for both domestic consumption and export.