BASF, Petrovietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Corporation (PVCFC – a member of Petrovietnam) and Dong Thap authorities help 200 farmers adopt low-emission rice farming
Four training and field demonstration sessions in 2026 to equip 200 smallholders from four cooperatives with climate-resilient rice farming practices
Joint initiative aims to improve resource efficiency, reduce production costs, and promote better management of agricultural by-products and field burning
Contributing to Vietnam’s long-term sustainable development goals, especially in the rice farming hub of the Mekong Delta, through strengthened cooperation and support networks
Dong Thap, Vietnam – September 24, 2026 - BASF Starting Ventures, Petrovietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Corporation (PVCFC, a member of Petrovietnam), and the local authorities, including the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap Province, Sub-Department of Plant Production and Protection of Dong Thap Province, and People's Committees of Phong My Commune and Truong Xuan Commune, today announced a joint initiative to support a total of 200 smallholder farmers from four cooperatives.
Through four training and field demonstration sessions in 2026, participating farmers will receive practical guidance on climate-resilient rice farming. The project will also provide the four cooperatives with straw balers to collect and reuse rice straw after harvest instead of burning - and Alternating Wet-Dry Irrigation Water Management (AWD) facilities, a water-saving technology that farmers can apply to reduce their irrigation water consumption in rice fields without compromising its yield, helping farmers use water more efficiently and lower emissions.
The beneficiaries include Truong Thanh Agricultural Cooperative and Truong Phat Cooperative, Agricultural Cooperative No. 2 Gao Giong and Thuan Tien Agricultural Cooperative.
“By helping farmers adopt more efficient ways of using natural resources, reduce field burning, and make better use of straw by-products, this project can create positive impact for both local communities and the environment. Together with our partners, BASF is pleased to strengthen cooperation across the agricultural value chain and contribute to the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta’s rice sector.” said Erick Contreras, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam.
Dong Thap, located in the heart of the Mekong Delta, is one of Vietnam‘s key rice producing regions. Supported by extensive agricultural land, a well-developed irrigation network, and long-standing farming experience, agriculture, especially rice production, has been a key industry of the province.
In recent years, Dong Thap Province has advanced its rice sector towards more sustainable and high-quality production while reducing farming costs. At the same time, the province has developed dedicated production areas and enhanced food safety measures to meet the requirements of domestic and international markets. The majority of farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises in the province have actively applied advanced technologies and sustainable farming practices, thus better meeting stringent requirements of the markets.
Despite this progress, the local rice growers, especially those in Truong Xuan Commune and Phong My Commune continue to face significant challenges. These include extreme weather conditions, high prices of materials and labor, market price fluctuations, technical barriers and increasingly stringent requirements of food safety, traceability, emission reduction, and post-harvest straw management.
"Through this project, we aim to equip farmers with practical knowledge and tools to adopt low-emission rice farming, manage water more efficiently, make better use of rice straw by-products, and build stronger linkages across the rice value chain. In doing so, we hope to support the sector’s transition toward more sustainable, high-quality rice production,“ Erick adds.
Vietnam is one of the world's leading rice exporters and plays an important role in national and global food security. The Mekong Delta, often referred to as Vietnam’s “rice basket”, accounts for more than 50% of the country's rice production and 95% of its rice exports, and supports around 1.5 million small-scale rice farmers (source). In 2023, the government approved a program to develop one million hectares of low-emission, high-quality rice in the Mekong Delta through 2030 (source).
About BASF and BASF Vietnam
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 95,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €60 billion in 2025. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
BASF has been active in Vietnam since 1994. The company operates through two legal entities - BASF Vietnam Limited and BASF Coatings Vietnam Limited - and maintains a sales office in Ho Chi Minh City. BASF provides innovative chemical and material solutions to Vietnam’s key industries, including Agriculture, Construction, Automotive, Footwear and Textiles, Paints & Coatings and Electrical & Electronics. In 2025, BASF posted sales to customers in Vietnam of approximately €230 million and employed 94 people at the end of the year. Further information on BASF in Vietnam is available at www.basf.com/vn.
About Petrovietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Corporation
At CaMau Fertilizer, we provide a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality crop nutrition solutions, supporting farmers in improving farming efficiency and contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural sector. Established in 2011, Petrovietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer Corporation (PVCFC, a member of Petrovietnam) primarily operates in the production, trading, import and export of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. CaMau Fertilizer's product portfolio is increasingly diversified, including urea, enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, NPK, organic fertilizers and a broad range of crop nutrition products such as DAP, potassium fertilizers, SA and specialized fertilizer formulations, meeting the needs of different crops and growing regions.
Over 15 years of development, CaMau Fertilizer now has an annual fertilizer supply capacity of more than 1.5 million tonnes, with a network of more than 2,000 dealers nationwide and products reaching 22 countries and territories worldwide. Notably, PVCFC is the first Vietnamese company to be granted Level One certification for bulk fertilizer exports by Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. As the highest level under Australia’s inorganic fertilizer import management system, the certification demonstrates PVCFC’s ability to meet stringent requirements for biosecurity, traceability and supply chain control.. Additionally, PVCFC continues to expand its international presence, supplying products to high-standard markets including Australia, New Zealand and the United States while steadily strengthening its position in the global fertilizer market. PVCFC shares are listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) under the ticker symbol DCM. For more information, please visit www.pvcfc.com.vn for more information.
About Dong Thap Province
Dong Thap Province was established by merging two provinces of Dong Thap and Tien Giang, boasting a natural area of 5,938.7 km² and an agricultural production land area of 466,207 hectares (ha). The province currently has over 220,000 ha of land for rice cultivation, more than 20,000 ha for vegetables and 162,000 ha for perennial crops. Of the most typically specialized production areas are Truong Xuan Commune and Phong My Commune with a total agricultural land areas of 10,198 ha and 7,094 ha respectively (of which the rice cultivation areas are over 8,400 ha and over 5,000 ha). The merger not only introduces an extremely large socio-economic development space but also creates a diverse agricultural ecological region, combining a key region of rice and fruit trees in the Mekong Delta with a dynamic coastal farming area.
The rice sector not only plays a foundational role for Dong Thap’s production scene but also a critical role to the national food security and exports. With the partnership among the province, businesses and farmers, Dong Thap is set to continue leveraging on its strengths to improve the value of the Vietnamese rice in the international markets.
