Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development

An analysis of environmental and economic impacts of the system of rice intensification : A case study in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam

Do Quang Huy, Minakshi Keeni, Katsuhito Fuyuki — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The current research investigates the environmental and economic impacts of the system of rice intensification. Rice, a fundamental staple in our diets, is paradoxically a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, fueling global warming and climate change. A promising solution to this is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Embraced in Vietnam's National Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, SRI aims to boost rice yields while curbing greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional farming practices. This study focuses on Thai Binh, a key rice-producing province in the Red River Delta. Our objective is to assess the economic, environmental, and broader societal impacts of SRI versus conventional farming. We conducted a comprehensive analysis, utilizing tools such as Cost and Benefit (CBA) evaluations, Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) calculations, and the Linkert scale to gauge the effects. Data from 175 farmers in Phu Luong commune, Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province, formed the basis of our study. The results highlight the advantages of adopting SRI. Implementing SRI not only leads to a substantial increase of approximately 12 million Vietnamese Dong (VND) in revenue but also showcases a remarkably favorable cost of -2.7 VND for reducing 1 ton of CO2eq/ha during the transition from conventional farming. This highlights the financial and environmental benefits of SRI. Furthermore, our assessment demonstrates that SRI consistently outperforms conventional farming across economic, environmental, and societal dimensions. In essence, our findings strongly advocate for the adoption of SRI over conventional rice cultivation, as it not only mitigates environmental harm but also enhances farmers' profitability and well-being, aligning with sustainable agriculture practices and climate change mitigation efforts.

Analysis of producer behavior towards organic vegetables in Vientiane capital, Lao PDR

Monthong Keochansy, Jae Bong Chang, Yoonsuk Lee — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The study investigated the behavior of producers towards organic vegetables to determine the main factors influencing households’ income and analyze the challenges of producing organic vegetables. Organic agriculture can bring benefits to sustainable production and be a major source of households’ income. The Lao government is promoting and supporting clean agriculture in potential areas where the conditions of production and marketing are proper. Organic agriculture can help farmers increase their incomes and help people improve their health conditions. Organic agriculture has significant potential in Laos since several conditions of a traditional farming system can easily adapt to the organic farming system. Organic vegetables can create a value chain with government certification. However, the Lao government has difficulty recommending organic agriculture to farmers. The study collected 272 individual farm households cultivating organic vegetables in six districts in Vientiane’s capital, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The analysis was considered for both descriptive statistics and an ordered logistic model. The results from the ordered logit model show that age, higher education level, organic vegetable area, and selling frequencies are positive and statistically significant. The study can contribute to the next five-year plan of clean agricultural programs for agriculture and forestry development.

Estimating cost efficiency and sources of inefficiency in paddy farming: A study in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Phuc Trong Ho, Pham Xuan Hung, Lieu Thi Hoang, Nguyen TM Phuong — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The misuse of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides in rice cultivation is leading to low-quality outputs, high production costs, health issues and environmental problems (e.g., degraded soil quality, water pollution and increasing greenhouse gases). The efficient use of production inputs would be a feasible way to mitigate these issues. This paper employed a true random-effects model to measure cost efficiency and investigate the factors affecting cost inefficiency among Vietnamese rice producers. This study used the surveyed data of 350 rice households collected in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The findings of this research show that the mean cost efficiency score is 0.92 with a wide variation (0.26 – 0.99). This study indicates that there is still potential for inefficient rice producers to save production costs by improving their cost inefficiency. The study also reveals a positive relationship between cost inefficiency and farm size, natural disasters and rice diseases. This suggests that as farms grow, natural disasters and rice diseases become more prevalent and rice producers become increasingly incapable of managing input costs. This study suggests that supportive policies should focus on improving rice farmers’ skills to manage production inputs and deal with rice diseases and natural disasters to minimize rice production costs.

Mitigating the impact of mercury on rural people by providing scenarios on alternative income through corn farming improvement

Zulham Sirajuddin, Sri Manovita Pateda, Mahludin Baruwadi, Nur Safitri Tahir — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The purpose of this research is to examine several scenarios in corn farming, which can be an alternative income for rural communities involved in ASGM. The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities in Tulabolo, Gorontalo, have negatively impacted the local community's health due to mercury amalgamation pollution. Therefore, alternative scenarios are needed to attract the interest of the mining community to return to farming. Interviews were conducted with 26 farmers engaged in both mining and corn farming activities using an interview guide to assess their current cultivation behaviour and income related to ASGM, and other relevant informants. The data collected indicated that farmers earn significantly higher income from mining than from corn farming. Therefore, to incentivize farmers to shift their focus to corn farming, this study analyse several scenarios; increasing the land area per individual to a minimum of 2.2 hectares, raising the selling price of corn kernel to a minimum of IDR 9,203 per kg, and increasing productivity to a minimum of 2,709 kg/Ha through improved farming techniques. Implementing the third scenario is recommended to enhance earnings while reducing the negative impacts of ASGM on both health and the environment.