Transcending tradition in Vietnam

Rural Vietnam, like the rest of this culturally rich country, is a showcase of tradition. The growing demand for rice, however, has encouraged farmers to explore new agricultural technologies that promise better results than traditional methods. To find out how certain technologies from the International Rice Research Institute are affecting the Vietnamese farming scene, Divina Gracia Rodriguez and Carlito Balingbing of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) visited Hanoi and the provinces of Nam Dinh and Long An from late February to early March 2008.

IRRC agricultural engineer Carlito Balingbing (extreme right) and agricultural economist Divina Gracia Rodriguez visited a rice mill owned and operated by one of the project's former trainees. (Photo by D. Rodriguez)

In Hanoi, they met with Dr. Nguyen Thi Duong Nga and other faculty members of the Hanoi University of Agriculture. Together, they laid out the final plans for upcoming impact assessment activities of the IRRC project with the Asian Development Bank and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (ADB-JFPR) called “Improving Poor Farmers’ Livelihoods through Improved Rice Postharvest Technology.” These activities will take place in Nam Dinh and Long An provinces from June to July 2008.

Next on their itinerary were meetings with Dr. Tran Thi Mai and Ms. Hoang Thi Tuat of the Vietnam Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Postharvest Technology in Nam Dinh Province’s Yen Phong Village and Mr. Vu Cong Khanh, head of the Food Processing Division of the Southern Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Postharvest Technology, in Long An Province’s Nhon Ninh and Hau Thanh Dong communes. There they tested evaluation questionnaires among beneficiary farmers to refine the instrument that will measure impact of the ADB-JFPR project. In their field visits, the team witnessed how these technologies are faring in the different villages.

Hermetic storage system
The 50-kilogram IRRI Super Bags are airtight containers that protect grain from pests and moisture from the humid environment. In the villages of Yen Phong and Yen Khang in Nam Dinh, group discussions showed that farmers greatly appreciate the Super Bag. However, Yen Khang farmers often overfill the bags to as much as 70 kilograms, and use them without the protective outer sack lining that prevents scratches and punctures. Apparently, farmers there need more technical assistance on the proper use of the bags.

In Long An Province, farmers use the Super Bags correctly and appreciate the principle of hermetic storage. They claim that the bags prevent insect and rodent infestation and jack up germination rates to 85%, up from the usual 50% using traditional storage. In Hau Thanh Dong in Tan Thanh District, germination rate is even higher at 90%, up from 20% or lower using traditional storage.

Dr. Nga (extreme right) conducts interviews with selected farmers and extension workers in Nhon Ninh Village, Long an Province, Vietnam. (Photo by D. Rodriguez)

Meanwhile, the 5-ton Volcani Cube proved impractical in Nam Dinh because of the small amount of paddy stored, but it was a big hit among rice farmers in Hau Thanh Dong.

Mechanical/flat-bed dryer (FBD)
In Yen Phong and Yen Khang villages in Nam Dinh, farmers widely used both the smaller capacity (1-ton) dryer and the low-cost 500-kilogram dryer, although the dryer required coal and electricity. The dryer is used mostly during bad weather; otherwise, solar drying is still used. Meanwhile, the 4-ton dryer benefited Long An farmers in Nhon Ninh commune, who attested to the better milling quality of FBD-dried grain. In Hau Tanh Dong village, farmers are building a second 4-ton dryer next to the first.

Quality kit/IRRI moisture meter
This gadget helps prevent grains from being over- or underdried, cutting farmers’ losses and maximizing their profits. Unfortunately, in Nhon Ninh Village, only five out of 12 units were functional, and none in Yen Phong. In Han Tanh Dong, all units are regularly used.
Hopefully, these technologies, when used properly, will help boost the quality and quantity of rice produced to feed our hungry world.

Lorelei Dela Cruz (adapted from a report by Divina Gracia Rodriguez and Carlito Balingbing)

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