Provinces in the Mekong Delta are pressing ahead with green and sustainable agriculture as part of Vietnam’s efforts to adapt to climate change.
Over the past two years, numerous models have been launched, utilising technology and eco-friendly methods to reduce emissions while enhancing productivity and farmers’ incomes.
Emission reduction measurement system in rice fields. (Photo: VNA)
Key areas include rice grown with water-saving irrigation, reduced fertiliser use, and lower carbon emissions, as well as aquaculture that works in harmony with natural conditions such as low-emission catfish and shrimp farming. Additionally, fruit production is based on a circular model that minimises chemical inputs.
A centrepiece of this shift is the Government’s project to develop one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta. So far, it has been rolled out in nearly all rice-growing provinces, with 101 pilot models covering more than 4,500 hectares. These models reported yield increases of 5–10 per cent and additional profits of VND 3-5 million (USD 114–190 ) per hectare.
In Dong Thap province, yields reached 7.1 tonnes of unhusked rice per hectare, 4 per cent higher than those outside the model. Farmers earned nearly VND 28 million per hectare, an increase of VND 4.6-4.8 million. Production costs dropped by roughly VND 500 per kilogramme of rice, while selling straw added another VND 400,000 per hectare in income. Emissions were cut by about 3.1 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare each crop.
As of June 2025, the Can Tho city project was implemented on 76,000 hectares with 12 pilot models. Yields were 0.3–0.7 tonnes per hectare higher than conventional farms, while production costs fell by an average of 1.1 million VND per hectare. Thanks to reduced use of seeds, nitrogen fertiliser, pesticides, and irrigation water, profits rose by VND 1.3-6.5 million per hectare, an increase of 6.6–36.7 per cent. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) reported that greenhouse gas emissions in Can Tho pilot fields dropped by 2-12 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare.
In An Giang, the provincial agricultural extension centre partnered with private companies such as the Binh Dien Fertiliser Joint Stock Company and Bayer Vietnam Company Limited to support farmers, said Le Van Dung, Deputy Director of the centre.
A 50-hectare summer-autumn pilot model involving 11 households applied methods such as cluster sowing, alternate wetting and drying irrigation, integrated pest management, and straw collection. Yields averaged 6.67 tonnes per hectare, about 0.31 tonnes higher than outside the model, while profits rose by nearly VND 3.9 million per hectare. Emissions dropped by almost 12 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare.
A high quality rice growing area in Dong Thap province. (Photo: VNA)
Linking the model with a local cooperative also helped form a concentrated rice production area that meets export requirements. These low-emission rice models not only protect the environment and support climate adaptation, but also improve economic returns and lay the foundation for sustainable and high-quality rice exports, said Dung.
The green transition is not limited to rice. The tra fish sector, one of Vietnam’s top foreign currency earner, is also under pressure to cut emissions. Producing one kilogram of tra fish currently emits 6-7 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 9-10.5 million tonnes per year. Wastewater, fish mortality, and sludge from ponds are major contributors.
Nguyen Ba Thong, programme manager at the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), said new approaches are needed. One solution involves turning sludge into insect feed, which in turn can be processed into fish feed. This circular model would reduce reliance on imported fishmeal or soy linked to deforestation, while also lowering feed costs, which account for up to 80 per cent of production expenses.