405 million USD invested in infrastructure and technology for high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan spoke at the meeting.

Attending at the An Giang province bridge point were member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong.

The Project on Infrastructure and Technical Support for High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice in the Mekong Delta using IBRD loan capital is identified as a particularly important public investment project to implement the Project on sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030" approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1490/QD-TTg, dated November 27, 2023.

The project, proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in coordination with the People's Committees of localities, has a large investment scale, synchronously implementing technical solutions in 6 provinces, including: Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Can Tho, An Giang, Ca Mau and Vinh Long.

The total estimated capital of the project is 405 million USD. Of which, the World Bank loan from IBRD is 315 million USD, the counterpart capital of the Vietnamese Government is 90 million USD.

High-quality, low-emission rice cultivation model in Dinh Hoa commune, An Giang province

The approved and implemented project will fundamentally transform the method of cultivating high-quality, low-emission rice, ensuring sustainable development and adaptation to climate change of the rice industry in general and the entire Mekong Delta in particular, which is the largest concentrated rice production area in the country and contributes over 90% of rice export output.

The project will have a direct impact on the livelihoods of about 2 million rice farmers and an indirect impact on millions of others who are involved in the rice industry chain from production to consumption and export, thereby positively impacting the economic, social development and political security of the Mekong Delta.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the progress of the project implementation so far, the Ministry of Finance has coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and relevant agencies to clarify the loan conditions and interest rates of the World Bank's IBRD for the project; evaluate and compare the effectiveness of IBRD loan capital with loans from other donors and domestic capital, clearly identify and recommend capital sources with reasonable mechanisms and interest rates, ensuring the most effective and feasible project.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment agrees with the Ministry of Finance on designing a project management model that enhances decentralization and delegation of authority to local management. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is responsible for approving projects, urging, inspecting and supervising project implementation in localities.

Farmers of Tan Hoi commune harvest summer-autumn rice 2025.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the implementation of the project to develop 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice will contribute to increasing the value of rice in the Mekong Delta. This is also the first time in Vietnam and the world that there is a large-scale investment program on sustainable, low-emission rice production directed at the Government level, contributing to the implementation of the target in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Prime Minister's international commitment at COP26, bringing net emissions to zero by 2050.

To continue implementing the project, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to send a letter to the World Bank WB before September 30, 2025, confirming Vietnam's interest in using IBRD loans and other preferential financial resources, non-refundable aid and technical assistance for the project on Infrastructure and Technical Support for High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice in the Mekong Delta.

Regarding the project's management model, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to base on the provisions of Clause 1, Clause 3, Article 2 and Clause 1, 2, Article 4 of Resolution No. 206/2025/QH15, dated June 24, 2025 of the National Assembly on special mechanisms for handling difficulties and problems caused by legal provisions to preside over and coordinate with localities in the Mekong Delta region and relevant agencies to develop and submit to the Government for promulgation a Government Resolution on special mechanisms and models of organization and management applicable to the project.

News and photos: THUY TRANG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/405-trieu-usd-dau-tu-ha-tang-ky-thuat-lua-chat-luong-cao-phat-thai-thap-vung-dong-bang-song-cuu-lo-a462527.html