Can Tho, Vietnam (May 12, 2026) – Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded Fertilize Right (FerRight) project, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with the Plant Production and Protection Department (PPD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DAE) of Can Tho City, teamed up to scale efforts in implementing a government program that focuses on the sustainable development of one million hectares of low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta region by 2030 (the 1mHa Program).

A workshop and exhibition titled “Fertilizer Supply Chain Networking for One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Production” was organized to support this initiative. The workshop emphasized that proper nutrition management and enhanced fertilizer efficiency are essential solutions for reducing input costs, improving production efficiency, promoting soil health, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in rice farming.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. James Yi, the Agricultural Attaché of USDA, highly appreciated the Vietnamese Government's commitment to promoting the transformation of the rice sector toward high quality and low emissions. According to Mr. Yi, the FerRight project aims to accompany partners in Vietnam and the U.S. to promote multilateral cooperation, enhance technology sharing, and support the application of efficient and sustainable fertilizer solutions in production realities. He emphasized that networking activities like this event play an important role in connecting businesses, scientists, and farmers, thereby contributing to the realization of the project's goals.

One of the highlights of the event was the formation of a multilateral networking forum between fertilizer manufacturing and supplying enterprises, technology providers, regulatory agencies, the agricultural extension system, exporting enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers within the rice value chain. Through this forum, domestic enterprises have the opportunity to access advanced technologies, raw materials, and solutions—especially from the United States—while promoting trade cooperation and technology transfer suitable for production conditions in the Mekong Delta and other production regions of Vietnam.

The workshop and exhibition program focused on introducing improved fertilizer lines and advanced fertilizer production technologies from U.S. businesses and Vietnamese partners. Participants also presented technical solutions and cooperation models within the rice value chain, and organized thematic discussion sessions to promote information exchange and strengthen connections among stakeholders. The exhibition area brought together many fertilizer and agricultural technology enterprises, including BioWish, BOF, MTK, Con Co Vang Agriculture Group, Lam Thao Fertilizers and Chemicals Joint Stock Company, Ca Mau Fertilizer, AMT, and Innovar Ag, creating a visual space to introduce products, technologies, and promote commercial connections.

Through this chain of activities, the event aimed to achieve three main objectives: promoting the application and commercialization of improved fertilizer solutions, strengthening linkages within the fertilizer supply chain for sustainable rice production, and connecting businesses with stakeholders to promote technological innovation and transfer advanced solutions into production. Mr. Jeff Young, Director of Advanced Marine Technologies (USA), stated that the event is an important opportunity for businesses to introduce environmentally friendly organic fertilizer solutions while connecting with partners in Vietnam's rice value chain. He expressed belief that combining international technology with local practical needs will open up many opportunities for cooperation, contributing to improving soil health and production efficiency for farmers. Meanwhile, Mr. Andrew Semple, Director of Innovar Ag, assessed that activities like this workshop and exhibition are of great significance in promoting technological innovation and supporting Vietnam's agricultural sector to enhance productivity, quality, and sustainability.

In his closing remarks at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of PPPD, emphasized that the transformation of the rice industry cannot rely solely on changes in farming techniques. Instead, it must be driven synchronously across the entire chain, from input supply to the market. He noted that the workshop and exhibition demonstrate the increasingly important role of the business sector in innovating fertilizer technology, transferring advanced solutions, and accompanying farmers in the process of production transformation.

The insights shared at the workshop reaffirmed that the efficient, balanced, and environmentally friendly use of fertilizers not only helps reduce input costs and improve economic efficiency for rice farmers, but also contributes to improving soil health, reducing nutrient loss, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This approach moves the industry toward a green, sustainable, and climate-resilient agriculture. Mr. emphasized that this is also one of the core technical solutions to effectively implement the 1mHa program, which MAE is focusing on directing and implementing.