Directive No. 24/2006/CT-BNN on strengthening the implementation of the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the Strengthening Implementation of the 3 Reductions 3 Increases Program 

The "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program has been implemented nationwide with appropriate scale and content in accordance with agricultural practices and ecological conditions of each region. The effectiveness of the program has been confirmed by practical production and the area applying the program continues to expand.

In the Mekong Delta provinces, by the winter-spring crop season of 2005-2006, approximately 30% of the planting area had adopted the program. In central provinces, model fields for the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program have been established. Areas applying the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program (reducing seed sowing rate, chemical fertilizer, and pesticide; increasing yield, quality, and economic efficiency) all achieved higher yields compared to other fields, with additional income averaging one million dong per hectare. Notably, the density of rice pests in fields implementing the program was two to three times lower, reducing the pressure to use chemical pesticides.

In northern provinces, up to now, hundreds of training sessions of various scales have been organized for plant protection technical staff and farmers from different provinces on methods to implement the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program (reducing chemical fertilizer, pesticide, and water or seed usage). More than 3,000 models covering about 2,000 hectares in the Red River Delta and Region 4 have been built to promote and encourage farmers to participate in the application. Fields following these models reduced costs for chemical fertilizer and pesticide while increasing rice yield, contributing to producing clean agricultural products, protecting the environment, and public health.

To effectively and appropriately implement the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program in accordance with local rice production conditions across the country, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issues the following directives:

1. Establish steering committees at all levels for the implementation of the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development will establish a central steering committee. At the provincial level, the provincial steering committee will be established by the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; at the district level, the district steering committee will be established by the Chairman of the District People's Committee; at the commune level, the commune steering committee will be established by the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee.

2. Enhance training activities on the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" techniques for technical staff and farmers and build "3 Reductions 3 Increases" model fields/crop areas on rice:

- The Plant Protection Agency will cooperate with the Crop Production Agency and the National Agricultural Extension Center to organize training courses for provincial-level technical staff.

- The National Agricultural Extension Center will cooperate and direct the Provincial Plant Protection Agencies and Provincial Agricultural Extension Centers to train farmers and implement models in their respective regions.

- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct the Provincial Plant Protection Agency

to cooperate with the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to organize, implement, inspect, and supervise the construction of "3 Reductions 3 Increases" model fields/crop areas on rice and conduct on-site training sessions and field meetings for farmers.

3. Implement experimental research on the "3 Reductions 3 Increases" program on rice and other crops:

- Research Institutes will collaborate with specialized agencies (Crop Production, Plant Protection, Forestry and Aquaculture Processing, Water Resources) to continue researching and perfecting suitable technical measures for each ecological region, particularly focusing on water-saving measures and post-harvest loss reduction for rice, and developing procedures for other crops (corn, soybeans, peanuts, etc.).

- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct the Provincial Plant Protection Agency to cooperate with the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to build models applying research results for promotion and farmer training.

4. Promote knowledge dissemination and guide farmers in application:

- The Plant Protection Agency will cooperate with the National Agricultural Extension Center to print leaf color comparison charts for distribution to farmers and produce short films for central and local television stations and distribute them on CDs for local promotional materials.

- The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct the Provincial Plant Protection Agency

to cooperate with the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center and local mass media to promote and widely disseminate successful examples from the locality.

5. Annual funding for implementation will be allocated from the agricultural extension budget:

- The Plant Protection Agency will cooperate with the Crop Production Agency to develop a budget plan for training provincial-level technical staff, promotional activities, and experimental research on rice and other crops.

- The National Agricultural Extension Center will guide the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop plans for farmer training and model building in localities.

- The Science and Technology Division will allocate funds for Research Institutes to complete technical procedures through appropriate channels.

6. Summary and award work:

At the end of each crop season, based on assigned functions and responsibilities, units responsible for implementation and provincial steering committees must submit reports on the implementation of the program in their province to the central steering committee for timely encouragement and awards to units and individuals performing well, and correction for those not performing adequately.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of centrally-administered cities and provinces and heads of relevant units under the Ministry to implement the above contents according to their respective functions, duties, and authorities. Regularly report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of this directive.