Vietnam's 1 Million Hectare Rice Plan Shows Early Gains
Why this is here: The plan’s success is demonstrated by a reduction in seed usage, dropping from 120-200 kg/ha to just 70 kg/ha, indicating a shift toward more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices.
Vietnam’s “Sustainable One Million Hectare Rice Plan” has shown positive initial results after two years of implementation. The plan, launched in late 2023, aims to develop high-quality, low-emission rice farming across the Mekong Delta region. Pilot programs have expanded from 302 hectares in 2024 to 1,950 hectares in 2025, with projections reaching 10,300 hectares in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop.
Currently, 380,629 hectares are cultivated using sustainable methods, representing 83.2% of the 2026 target. Total cultivated area reached 350,839 hectares, exceeding the initial target for this phase by 197%. Five of six Mekong Delta provinces have approved implementation plans through 2030, registering a combined area of 869,013 hectares.
The new farming practices have lowered production costs by 8.2% to 24.2% and increased rice yields by 2.4% to 7%. Farmers are also seeing increased profits of 4 to 7.6 million dong per hectare due to lower input costs and higher purchase prices from businesses seeking low-emission rice. The plan has also reduced CO2 emissions by 3 to 4.6 tons per hectare per crop.