PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on scientists at the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute to develop rice varieties that can withstand climate change conditions.

The Government chief made the proposal on June 13 during his tour of Mekong delta Can Tho City.  

PM Phuc said that the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute has made great contributions to converting Viet Nam into one of the world’s largest rice exporters over the last 40 years.

However, climate change has caused extremely negative impacts on Viet Nam especially in the Mekong Delta, said PM Phuc.

Droughts and saltwater intrusion have damaged 1 million tons of paddy. Hence, the PM proposed domestic scientists research on new rice varieties which are able to respond to climate change.

PM Phuc called on the Institute to speed up transferring of technological advances; combine scientific researches and market demands; connect with farmers and enterprises; and develop good-quality rice varieties.

Director of the Research Institute Nguyen Hong Son announced that it researched and produced 165 rice varieties and succeeded in creating new ones with higher output, lower cropping time from 120-130 days to only 90-105 days, and better disease resistance ability with a view to avoiding saltwater and floods.

The Institute also worked with relevant agencies to distribute 20,000 leaflets which provide technical guidance on paddy cultivation and minimize drought and saltwater intrusion impacts.