Regional Experts Explore Climate-Smart Rice–Potato Production in Vietnam

Ninh Binh, Vietnam, 1 October 2026 — Participants in the Regional Learning and Capacity-Sharing Workshop on Roots and Tubers, organized by the International Potato Center (CIP), visited Nam Cuong Agricultural Production, Business, and Service Cooperative for a field exchange on climate-smart rice–potato production and circular farming practices.

The visit was part of the Asia Regional Learning Platform on Roots and Tubers, being established through the CGIAR Capacity Sharing Accelerator to strengthen institutional capacity, mutual learning, and long-term collaboration among national research organizations. The regional exchange brought together 17 participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and the Philippines for visits to Vietnam’s Central Highlands and Red River Delta.

Nam Cuong Cooperative brings together approximately 1,600 farming households managing around 300 hectares, including 130 hectares devoted to potatoes. Participants explored its farmer-led production system, which combines mechanized direct-seeded rice with fertilizer deep placement (mDSR-FDP), mechanized rice-straw composting, and compost application in potato production to improve resource efficiency, soil health, and farmer livelihoods.

Through a partnership involving CIP, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the CGIAR Science Program on Scaling for Impact (S4I), and the USDA-funded Fertilize Right (FerRight) project, the cooperative has implemented a precision nutrient management model that uses composted rice straw as fertilizer. Its cropping cycle includes a four-month nitrogen-fixing peanut crop, a three-month rice crop that supplies straw for composting, and a three-month high-value potato crop. The initiative aims to supply safe, organic produce to feeding programs across 20 local schools, linking agricultural production with local food security and nutrition goals.

Mr. Nguyen Van Du, Director of Nam Cuong Cooperative, shared the cooperative’s experiences with seed potato imports, variety selection, and community-based cold storage. Participants also exchanged insights with local authorities, cooperative members, and farmers on challenges facing rice and potato production under climate change and considered how these practices could be adapted to their own countries.

Dr. Ngo Duc The, an IRRI scientist, explained how mDSR-FDP offers an alternative to mechanized transplanting. Dynamic air-assisted seeders place seeds 1–2 millimeters below the soil surface and fertilizer 3–4 centimeters deep, improving nutrient uptake and root health while reducing lodging. At Nam Cuong Cooperative, the system increased rice yield by 28% to 5.65 tons/ha at 14% moisture content, turning a loss of VND 3.1 million/ha under traditional practices into a profit of VND 13.2 million/ha.

A mechanized rice-straw composting demonstration showcased how mechanical turning, combined with biochemical processes, improves compost quality and reduces decomposition time from 90 to 45 days compared with traditional methods. Participants learned the importance of regularly mixing the compost, applying probiotics, and monitoring temperature and pH to maintain effective composting conditions.

During an open discussion, cooperative representatives explained that table potatoes are planted in late October or early November and harvested in January for domestic markets and exports to Cambodia and Laos. A spring seed multiplication crop follows from January to March, with seed potatoes stored in seven cold storage facilities, each holding 40–70 metric tons, and no reported storage losses. The cooperative primarily imports European varieties from Germany, having previously sourced them from the Netherlands, with yellow flesh, consistent tuber quality, and market acceptance guiding selection.

Representatives emphasized rice–potato and rice–potato–peanut rotations as key measures for managing pests and diseases. Potatoes are the main income source, generating net profits of USD 4,750/ha, compared with USD 2,222/ha for peanuts, while rice is mainly grown for household consumption.

The visit fostered South–South learning on how local innovations and institutional partnerships can strengthen resilient root and tuber production systems. Running from August 2026 to April 2027, the platform’s initial phase combines field-based learning, online knowledge exchanges, and joint planning to help national institutions identify shared priorities and develop future capacity-sharing initiatives.