Addressing agricultural emissions key to green production in Vietnam

Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Increasing attention has been given to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam’s agriculture sector, particularly rice production, in a bid to protect the environment given complex climate change developments.

According to Nguyen The Hinh from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s agricultural project management board, currently, agricultural production contributes about 30% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

The emissions come mainly from wet rice cultivation, animal husbandry, the use of fertiliser, and burning of plant residues, among other fields.

Dao Ha Trung, head of the Ho Chi Minh City high-tech association, said paddy cultivation accounts for a high rate of emissions generated in agriculture.

He added that this poses a great challenge to the nation, particularly the Mekong Delta which makes up 50% of Vietnam’s total rice plantation and yield annually.

Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Nguyen Xuan Khoa, Vice Chairman of the Union of Science and Technology Associations of the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, said it is necessary to continue promoting agricultural production models toward the building of value chains, linkages, and economic efficiency improvement in line with criteria set for environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

Hinh, meanwhile, suggested converting inefficient paddy fields to areas for growing non-mechanised crops, which produce little emissions./.