Directive No. 12/2006/CT-BNN on Measures to Control Brown Planthopper Damage to Winter-Spring Rice in the Mekong Delta Region

DIRECTIVE

On the prevention and control of brown planthopper damage to winter-spring rice in the Mekong Delta region

 Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long 

In light of the widespread damage caused by the brown planthopper during the 2005-2006 winter-spring rice season in the Mekong Delta region, the Prime Minister issued Urgent Directive No. 267/TTg-NN dated February 15, 2006, instructing the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities in the Mekong Delta region and relevant ministries and agencies on the work of preventing and controlling the brown planthopper.

On February 16, 2006, in Can Tho City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organized a conference to implement the Prime Minister's directive mentioned above. To strictly and effectively implement the Prime Minister's Urgent Directive on the prevention and control of the spread of the brown planthopper and to protect winter-spring rice until the end of the season, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issues the following urgent tasks:

1. Establish steering committees at all levels to direct and inspect the work of preventing and controlling the brown planthopper damage to winter-spring rice in the Mekong Delta region. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development will establish the central steering committee. At the local level, the provincial steering committee shall be established by the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, while the district and commune steering committees shall be established by the Chairpersons of the District and Commune People's Committees.

2. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall mobilize plant protection, crop production, and agricultural extension forces from the province/city to go down to the grassroots level to grasp the situation and participate in the work of preventing and controlling the brown planthopper. In cases of severe outbreaks, maximum human resources and funds must be mobilized to extinguish the outbreak.

3. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall organize inspection teams to check the operation of pesticide sales within their jurisdiction to prevent and strictly handle cases of selling substandard or fake pesticides or raising prices for pesticides. The Plant Protection Department shall direct inspections in key areas.

4. The Plant Protection Department shall direct provincial plant protection branches to continuously monitor the development of disease conditions on winter-spring rice, carry out forecasting and early warning about the brown planthopper and rice blast disease to provide timely information and guidance to farmers, and supply information to mass media outlets for dissemination.

5. The dissemination of knowledge and guidance on preventing and controlling the brown planthopper and rice blast disease to farmers shall be carried out through the following methods:

- The Plant Protection Department shall cooperate with the National Agricultural Extension Center to print one million leaflets to distribute to farmers and pesticide retailers (to be distributed again to farmers when they purchase pesticides), produce short films to provide to central and local television stations, and produce CDs for distribution to localities as promotional materials.

- In areas where rice is currently infected with the brown planthopper or is at high risk of infection, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct the provincial plant protection branch and agricultural extension center to organize on-site training sessions for farmers on measures to prevent and control the brown planthopper, particularly the correct use of pesticides.

6. The Crop Production Department shall lead and coordinate with institutes, schools, and the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development in the region to assess the specific extent of brown planthopper and rice blast disease infections on rice varieties currently in use based on field observations; evaluate the effectiveness of the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program in reducing pest and disease levels; and propose adjustments to the rice variety structure for the upcoming summer-autumn season in the Mekong Delta region.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests that the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of provinces and centrally governed cities in the Mekong Delta region and heads of relevant units under the Ministry promptly implement the contents outlined above until the end of the 2006 winter-spring rice season and report regularly to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of this directive./.