Developing Sustainable Agriculture through Mulberry Cultivation

Nguyen Quoc Huy, the leader of the Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative in Vinh Phuc, shared the cooperative’s plans to start a mulberry and silkworm farming initiative in several mountainous regions, including Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, and Cao Bang.

Mulberry plants have a long history in Vietnam. They thrive as foliage crops, ensuring at least five leaves remain healthy at harvest, which keeps the land verdant.

Farmers can earn around VND300 million annually from mulberry cultivation, leading to profits of about VND180 million after deducting production costs.

The cooperative has begun exporting its products, tapping into Vietnam’s significant silk potential, especially in the Indian market.

Remarkably, local farmers are minimizing or entirely avoiding chemical fertilizers. Huy emphasized, “To secure sustainable benefits, we refrain from using any pesticides, greatly enhancing our environmental sustainability.”

There is a possibility to measure large-scale mulberry farms for potential carbon credit allocation.

Duy highlighted the merit of establishing mulberry production aimed at carbon credit sales.

Demand for mulberry and silkworm farming is notably high. In southern mountainous regions like Yen Bai, Lao Cai, and Vinh Phuc, many farmers are successfully transitioning from rice cultivation to mulberry farming on less fertile lands which yields impressive returns. This crop succeeds on hilly terrains, providing good profits to farmers.

In terms of earnings, cultivating mulberry can generate between VND250-300 million per hectare annually. There’s also a sizable silk reeling factory located in Yen Bai, producing high-quality silk for international markets.

“By making systematic investments and utilizing organic fertilizers and biological pest control, we can significantly cut emissions while enhancing our carbon credit potential,” Duy noted.

“We are committed to aiding local communities and farmers. Our plan includes creating carbon certification systems for mulberry farming regions, aiding our goal for a net-zero future by 2050,” Duy added.

Furthermore, he stated that not only mulberry and silkworm farming but numerous other agricultural areas could potentially generate carbon credits.

Government Initiatives in Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Tang The Cuong, head of the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, mentioned the increasing focus on climate-adaptive agricultural practices from various governmental levels. The government, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is implementing strategies aimed at emission reduction in the agricultural sector.

Of the total greenhouse gas emissions, energy accounts for 62%, with agriculture following closely. Thus, mitigating emissions from agriculture is vital for achieving reduction targets.

On greenhouse gas reduction efforts, Cuong described the Ministry’s proactive measures, including a plan for agricultural emissions reductions by 2030 across agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and land sectors. New regulations are being introduced to guide emission reduction projects, particularly in forestry related to carbon credits.

International stakeholders are increasingly recognizing Vietnam’s vast forestry potential, noting that net emissions in this area are negative. The country has successfully sold 10.3 million forest carbon credits (equivalent to 10.3 million tons of CO2) through the World Bank at $5 per ton, generating $51.5 million (VND1.2 trillion).

According to Cuong, this marks a significant first step in establishing Vietnam’s prowess in the forestry carbon credit market.

Beyond agriculture, the Ministry is collaborating with the World Bank and other partners to implement one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta. Encouraging progress has been made in the last two years of pilot initiatives.

By employing low-emission rice farming techniques, farmers can see a profit increase of approximately VND18 million per hectare over traditional methods, in addition to income from carbon credit sales.

“To support farmers in adapting to climate change and achieving net-zero emissions, our agency will advise MONRE and MARD on developing guidelines for farmers,” Cuong stated.