For Tien Giang Rice to Go Around the World

For Tien Giang Rice to Go Around the World

With only 96,000 rice growing hectares, Tien Giang province’s agriculture has recorded encouraging results with an output of 1.32 million tonnes in 2004. This is thanks to the local people’s experience and efforts to increase the number of crops. So far, Tien Giang’s rice under the trademarks of ‘Nine Golden Dragons,’ ‘Flamingo’ and ‘Golden Apricot’ has been exported to Asian, European, African and American countries. Also, fragrant rice varieties, including VD 20 and OM 3536, have become available in supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Creating value for rice

In 2004, farmers in Tien Giang province sowed 271,000 hectares of rice, with high quality rice varieties accounting for 70 per cent of the area. Average yields reached five tonnes per hectare. Tien Giang is the leading province in the Mekong delta in terms of average output of14 tonnes a hectare per year. Nguyen Van Khang, director of the Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the result was recorded thanks to favourable conditions in 2004. Also, rice prices stood high, between VND 1,900 and 2,100 per kilogram, which encouraged local farmers to boost their investment in rice growing. At the same time, the province’s authorities have encouraged the technological application into production via the programmes of IPM and FPR in many places. According to traders, thanks to land, natural conditions, and local farmers’ experience, rice produced in Tien Giang province is of higher quality than other localities in the region. Furthermore, Tien Giang province has planned and developed projects on farming high quality rice varieties. So far, the province has developed a total area under high quality rice per crop, of over 180,000 hectares per year. This consists of the Go Cong area and an area within the flood prevention dykes in western districts. The area is used for farming fragrant and sticky rice varieties, successfully meeting the demand of local consumers and for export. According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, each year the province’s high quality rice growing area produces 600,000 tonnes of speciality rice, 140,000 tonnes of fragrant rice with the varieties of OM 3536, MTL 250, VD 20 and Jasmine 85, and 100,000 tonnes of sticky rice. The growing of high quality rice varieties has helped increase local farmers’ incomes by between 25 and 30 per cent.

Tien Giang rice goes around the world

Truong Van Hua, director of the Tien Giang Food Company, said that the company had exported rice to many countries around the world. Hua said that in 2005, the world market demand would continue to be high. This will encourage local farmers to invest in production, promoting the scientific and technological application. A bumper harvest year is expected in 2005. The issue is how to increase the value of Tien Giang’s rice to ensure its competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.

Therefore, since the 2004-2005 winter-spring crop, the Tien Giang Food Company has promoted its co-operation with co-operatives and farmers to buy fragrant rice farmed on over 3,000 hectares. Also, the company’s rice market of Phu Cuong will be put into operation soon, helping the company’s collection of rice from farmers in four western districts in Tien Giang and other localities in Long An and Dong Thap.

At present, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is co-operating with relevant agencies and People’s Committees of relevant districts to promote the registration of trademarks of Cai Lay, Go Cong and Cho Gao. This will help improve the competitiveness of local rice in both domestic and foreign markets.

• Hoa Binh