Transfer of RiceMoRe to Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development marks milestone in digital agriculture transformation

Hanoi, Vietnam (09 September 2024) – The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) officially handed over the Rice Activity Monitoring and Reporting (RiceMoRe) system to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD). The handover was carried out by leaders of the Department of Crop Production (DCP), the Center for Agricultural Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics (DTS), IRRI Country Office in Vietnam, and TCSoft software development company. The ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Head of Mission from the New Zealand Embassy, representatives of other departments of MARD and IRRI scientists.

At the ceremony, representatives from the four main partners – Mr. Nguyen Nhu Cuong – Director General of DCP, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Toan – Director of DTS, Mr. Robert Caudwell – IRRI Country Representative to Vietnam, and Mr. Trinh Quang Thai – Director of TCSoft, signed the Memorandum of Acceptance and Handover, officially transferring RiceMoRe to MARD’s management and operation. Moving forward, RiceMoRe will be institutionalized by MARD’s agencies. The data security certificate for the RiceMoRe system was also presented to DCP and DTS.

Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director General of DCP, emphasized how RiceMoRe addresses Vietnam’s urgent need for digital technology innovation and use in the agricultural sector. As climate change continues to bring challenges such as rising sea levels, drought, and salinization, efficient and timely management of rice production has become a pressing issue. The use of RiceMoRe helps improve the accuracy and consistency of rice production information, while reducing the time required for data compilation and reporting of agricultural officers, thereby enabling timely advisory and decision-making. Mr. Tung expressed sincere gratitude to IRRI scientists, who have dedicated six years of research and collaboration to develop this impactful tool, and to the New Zealand government for the unwavering support to upgrade and scale the system in different agroecological regions of Vietnam. He called for continued collaboration to enhance the RiceMoRe ecosystem and expand it beyond rice to include other crops. With climate change intensifying, as evidenced by recent typhoons such as Typhoon Yagi, RiceMoRe will play a vital role in providing near real-time production data to aid in long-term adaptation and mitigation strategies.

New Zealand’s Deputy Head of Mission, Ms. Ginny Chapman, echoed the sentiments on the urgent need for climate actions, citing the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like storms and droughts in Vietnam. She praised RiceMoRe as a timely innovation that will effectively support the safeguarding of Vietnam’s rice sector from the impacts of climate change. Despite the geographical distance between the two nations, New Zealand and Vietnam share a common goal – protecting their agricultural systems from climate-related threats. Ms. Chapman reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to the project, noting the power of partnerships in driving the project’s success and its potential long-term impact.

Acknowledging RiceMoRe as a pioneer in digital transformation in the agriculture sector of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of DTS highlighted that the system showcases the nation’s capacity to develop advanced, locally-tailored solutions that respond to the growing challenges faced by Vietnamese farmers. Furthermore, it opens the door to more technological integrations, including linking RiceMoRe with other digital platforms of MARD and scaling to other regions.

The potential of RiceMoRe to support Vietnam’s national strategies was further emphasized by IRRI’s climate change specialist, Ms. Katherine Nelson. It contributes to developing and operating a transparent Measurement/Monitoring, Reporting and Validation/Verification (MRV) system for the Programme “Sustainable development of one million ha of high-quality and low-carbon rice together with green growth in Mekong Delta up to 2030” recently launched by the Government of Vietnam. Furthermore, RiceMoRe can be a powerful tool for tracking emissions outcomes of mitigation measures in the rice sector, contributing to achieving Vietnam’s climate goals. The success of RiceMoRe also draws great potential for product tracing and certification, bridging Vietnamese rice farmers and businesses with high-demand markets and climate finance projects.

RiceMoRe is currently operated in 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta, the Red River Delta, and the South Central Coast regions. DCP has also kickstarted a series of training courses to scale the application of the system to other agroecological regions of the country.

More on this event here.

This is a New Zealand Government-funded partnership with IRRI in support of the objectives of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. This activity is also part of the CGIAR Initiatives on Asian Mega-Deltas and Low Emission Food Systems, and the Agroecological Transitions for Building Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture and Food Systems Program funded by IFAD and EU.