Vietnam: Rice postharvest and laser-leveling advocacy seminar conducted

While the Mekong Delta remains a major rice-producing region, other areas in Vietnam must not be left behind in efforts to improve the quality of the country’s rice exports through improved postharvest technologies.

A seminar on rice postharvest and laser-leveling for the northern, central, and highland regions of Vietnam was held on 30–31 July 2013 in Quang Ngai Province.
Seventy participants from the project’s partner universities and local government authorities and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Trimble, and Ideal Farming Corporation attended the event.

The seminar aimed to identify constraints and opportunities in expanding technology use in the various regions of Vietnam, document insights to guide policy for promoting laser-leveling technology, and ensure the commitment of the provinces to the goal.

Participants were brought on a field tour at the Quang Ngai Sugarcane Seed Center and in Ngia Hinh District, where the use and benefits of laser-leveling technology are showcased.
Partners from Nong Lam University’s (NLU) Ho Chi Minh City and Hue campuses presented the results of their assessment of different rice postharvest technologies in Vietnam. Truong Thi Thanh Nhan, one of the first to buy laser-leveling equipment in Dak Lak Province in central Vietnam, reported about the advantages of using the technology. Mark Heyward of Trimble presented various business model proposals that may interest farmers or farmers’ groups.

The event was organized through the Asian Development Bank-IRRI Postharvest Project, in cooperation with NLU, the National Extension Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.


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