Project’s title

Planning and establishing a sustainable (SRP) smallholder rice chain in the Mekong Delta

Project’s partner/ collaboration

Can Tho University

An Giang University

Cuu Long Rice Research Institute

Sunrice company

The University of Queensland

DARDs of An Giang and Dong Thap province

Sponsor/Donor

ACIAR

Total budged

356.782 AUD

Project’s period/duration

01/01/2022-31/12/2025

Principal Investigator (PI)

Jaquie Mitchell (The University of Queensland)

Co-PI

Nguyen Hong Tin (Can Tho University)

Project’s member

Đặng Kiều Nhân, Huỳnh Quang Tín, Vũ Anh Pháp, Lê Vân Thủy Tiên, Nguyễn Thành Tâm, Hồ Chí Thịnh

Overall objective

The project aims to establish a highly-productive, sustainable, traceable, quality-assured value chain for tropical medium grains (with specific characteristics) in the Mekong Delta (MD), benefiting rice-farming households and meeting established SunRice market requirements

Specific objectives

• Improving food security and reducing poverty among smallholder farmers and rural communities through developing Japonica rice varieties in the Mekong Delta;
• Improving yield, quality and economic efficiency of rice production applying SRP standards (improve sustainability of rice production, encouraging appropriate levels of fertiliser, herbicides and pesticides towards SRP compliance);
• Increasing economic efficiency of Japonica rice value chain using post-harvest solutions;
• Empowering women and girls (incorporate skills and resources to address inclusiveness, of women and girls, minority groups and also women and men working on smallholder farms that are often excluded through chain communications and participation beyond the farm gate);
• Capacity building (engage with farmers, district, provincial and national staff, input providers, researchers and their institutions, national and provincial government agencies, in a coordinated collaborative research agenda and with co-investment and participation from an experienced private international high-value rice chain operator and chain participants).

Contents

• Rice breeding
• Seed Production and Distribution
• Multi-environment Trials
• Commercial Production of DS1 Variety Using SRP Practices
• Agronomic Practices to Improve Resource Use Efficiency with Japonica Varieties
• Establish Optimum Harvest and Post-harvest Processes
• Social and Extension activities
• Integrated Value Chain Analysis

Expected outcome

·         Medium grain Japonica rice (differentiated from standard Indica varieties) will be bred and developed to achieve high grain yield, tolerate the abiotic and biotic stress conditions in MD and meet premium quality requirements of the international SunRice market.  Improvements in breeding efficiency will be targeted through molecular tools, e.g. DArT, KASP

·         Quantification of production and quality advantages and resulting economic value (value enhancement and cost minimisation) from implementation of SRP and various agronomic interventions (N fertiliser, AWD, IPM).

·         Improvements in scientific understanding of the agronomic and post-harvest practices required to optimise grain yield and quality for MD.

·         Quantification of quality and economic value enhancement from implementing alternative postharvest practices (delivery, drying, milling).

·         Gender analysis will identify differences in the experience of men and women in their involvement in an inclusive market-led SRP production system.

·         Principles and recommendations will be distilled to guide the design of innovative and inclusive extension programs that meet the differing needs and experiences of smallholder rice growers.

·         A deeper understanding of the social factors and governance issues influencing adoption of practices and value chain performance that can increase SRP compliance and delivery to SunRice market’s requirements, including the role of cooperatives in supporting farmers to change their practices.

·         Assessing whole-of-chain-performance, identifying leverage points, and designing policy intervention options that target the identified leverage points affecting the implementation of a sustainable, SRP, market-led, export rice value chain model, that rewards value chain stakeholders (particularly smallholders).

Contact address

Nguyen Hong Tin (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Tel: 0918181472)