PPP – Commodities Group Update Jan – Aug 2015 Ho Chi Minh, September 2015

Objectives & Strategies 1. Overall objective targets  An increase of 30% production of corn in key regions in 3 years ( ).  Up farmer’s profit to over 30% 2. This objective is achievable through 3 priority strategies  Seeds  Conventional Hybrid  Biotech Trait  Production  Agronomic practices advancement  Post harvest services improvement  Increase add-value in corn trading  Post harvest services  Logistic & storage systems

Progress Updates AchievementChallenge Conventional Hybrid Continued R&D investment on hybrid pipeline, commit to achive target of 3 new hybrid varieties per year Registration process for new hybrid and GM version of commercial hybrid: New requirement of registration process causing some delay in final approval Timeline of approval process for GM version of commercial hybrids not clear; and takes more time than expectation Biotech Trait 05 GM hybrid varieties approved, 01 commercialized in April 2015 On-going works for GM approval of other hybrids; expectedly 04 hybrids approved by end 2015 Intensive education, training and demonstration of new GM cultivation practice to farmers

Progress Updates AchievementChallenge Agronomic practice & Post-harvest Defined way-of-working for collaboration amongst stakeholders: farmer, institution, provincial authority, agriculture company, post- harvest company Defined directions for improving corn production in different farming condition, by geographic segments and season Roll-out activities for 1-2 seasons following defined directions Promote GM technology in alignment with defined directions Low price of commodity corn grain On-farm mechanization solutions to reduce dependence on labor Stakeholder engagement on post harvest

Biotech corn: Hundreds of farmer training events, demonstration fields for new tech.

Learning center: to train famers in practical technique of GM maize and correct application of Glyphosate Investigate, collect sample and classification of local grass species; Identify the majority grass species Correct doses of glyphosate; spraying technique and times of applying. Biotech corn: Hundreds of farmer training events, demonstration fields for new tech.

Biotech corn: Positive feed back from farmers after GM corn commercialization Farmer return-on-investment increase from 20-30% (about VND5-6 mil./ha ) vs. conventional seed - data from farmer fields in Moc Chau, Yen Chau Son La

Biotech corn: Positive feed back from farmers after GM corn commercialization Farmer return-on-investment increase from 50-80% (about VND mil./ha ) vs. conventional seed - data from farmer fields in Hong Ngu, Dong Thap

North Mountainous Provinces Collaboration with Center for Extension of Technology Development and Transfer – VAAS Direction: Shifting low-yield rice areas to corn by developing and promoting corn cultivation solution for: 1) sloppy farm; 2) water scarcity; and 3) Spring-Summer season Sustainable sloppy land cultivation practice Relatively stress tolerant varieties Agronomy solution

6 one-ha demo fields in SL, DB, LC and QN to demonstrate solution & provide training to farmers (Mar – Jul 2015)

North Central & Red River Delta Collaboration with Center for Extension of Technology Development and Transfer – VAAS Direction: Recoving corn planting acreage in Winter season by solution: Short-maturity hybrid and/or transplanting GM corn hybrids 50 ha demo plots to be developed in 6 provinces in this winter crop to demonstrate solution and showcase to the farmers

Mekong delta Collaboration with Institute of Agriculture Science for Southern Vietnam (IAS) To engage local authority and agriculture officers Sharing resources and demo plans Direction: Large farm demo Re-confirm profitability and advantage of corn in low yield rice season and location Trial of on-farm mechanization solution Engage post-harvest stakeholders in value chain Promote GM corn for: 1) Convenience in weed and pest control; 2) Less dependance on labour

Mekong delta CURRENT DIRECTIONNEW DIRECTION Demo deployment in 6 – 8 key provinces Focus on 2-3 key province, down to district level. Repeated demos and activities Large quantity of small farm demos Less demos but large farm Focus on purely rice area Engage and support feed mills Engage and support feed mills and grain collectors (suplying pig/poultry farms which make feed by themselves)

Rice-to-corn in Mekong delta

Summary highlight Technology and agronomic solutions to help improve profitability of corn farmer Collaboration of stakeholders is the needed for scale-up of confirmed solution and technology Financing and insurance is important as trend of large scale production will come.

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