Soc Trang (VNS/VNA) - The Cuu Long (Mekong) Deltaprovince of Soc Trang plans to increase the cultivation of speciality ricevarieties to improve farmers’ incomes.

It will develop 21 concentrated speciality rice farming areas by2025 with cultivation and consumption stakeholders having linkages, 80 modelsthat adapt to climate change and have similar linkages, and brand names forfive cooperatives.

This year it hopes to produce 2 million tonnes of paddy, withhigh-quality and speciality varieties accounting for 92%.

Tran Tan Phuong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, said to achieve the targets the provincewould develop speciality rice in nine localities – Nga Nam township, Soc Trang cityand the districts of Tran De, My Xuyen, Thanh Tri, My Tu, Chau Thanh, Long Phu,and Ke Sach.

It would improve the operation of 50 cooperatives, including 20that produce seeds, he said.

It would reduce cultivation of average- and low-quality varietiesand increase that of fragrant speciality varieties, and grow the grain toorganic and clean standards, he said.

It would apply advanced farming techniques, strengthen tradepromotion and organise seminars on developing linkages between co-operatives,cooperative groups and rice processors, he added.

The department said last year farmers planted 332,700ha of riceand harvested more than two million tonnes, with high-quality and specialityvarieties like ST24, ST25, Tai Nguyen, RVT, and Dai Thom 8 accounting foralmost 92%.

The province has 21 concentrated speciality rice growing areaswith a total area of 2,100ha.

More and more farmers use advanced techniques to grow the grain,thus increasing yields and reducing costs.

Lam Anh Tai, who planted 1.5ha of the Dai Thom 8 variety in thewinter-spring crop in Chau Thanh district’s Phu Tam commune, said he used amachine to sow seeds and used fewer seeds for sowing than traditional methodsand this helped reduce the requirement by 50%.

Traditionally, farmers sow a large number of seeds, which means therice plants do not have enough space for full development, making yields low.

Tai got a yield of 6 tonnes per hectare.

The harvest of the crop is expected to be completed in March,according to the local Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department./.