Project comencement meeting
The commencement meeting of the project took place on June 16, 2022. This meeting was the first time Australian based team members were able to meet in person with members from An Giang University (AGU), Can Tho University (CTU), Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI), SunRice and the University of Queensland (UQ), all coming together at An Giang University, Vietnam. All activity leaders introduced their objectives and expected outcomes and shared their progress to date. Presentations were made for each activity in the project and SunRice provided an introduction and overview of their objectives in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The meeting was an exceptional opportunity to develop a stronger relationship among team members, establish each institute’s understanding of tasks/activities and clarify necessary points.
During the Vietnam trip (June 12-21, 2022), an intensive two-day workshop was conducted by the CTU and UQ teams at CTU from the 13th to the 14th of June. On the first day, Dr Yanti introduced the concept of system dynamics and its application in value chain analysis to the CTU team. The second day of the workshop began with Dr Tin from CTU conducting a presentation on the nature of the RVC in the Mekong Delta. This workshop included: (1) general rice production, (2) the mapped traditional RVC based on the last data collected by CTU, (3) challenges faced by the value chain actors and across the value chain and, (4) potential solutions/mitigations to these challenges. This was followed by a session on the rapid assessment of the RVC facilitated by the UQ Team to map out an updated traditional and certified (organic & SRP) RVC in the Mekong Delta, and participatory value chain mapping with the participants (Mr Mai Van Tung – Investment & Development Manager from Lotus Group (a rice company that produces and markets both organic and non-organic rice); Mr Nguyen Huu Phuoc – Organic farmer from Lotus Group; Nguyen Van Dinh – ‘advanced’ farmer who has practised SRP for one season). The trip also included visits to Trung An Mill, SunRice Lap Vo Mill and three prospective, cooperatives. Thus, the trip helped obtain preliminary data from value chain actors to aid in designing the questionnaire, understanding the Vietnamese RVC and developing a preliminary causal loop diagram.
During the Vietnam trip (June 12-21, 2022), an intensive two-day workshop was conducted by the CTU and UQ teams at CTU from the 13th to the 14th of June. On the first day, Dr Yanti introduced the concept of system dynamics and its application in value chain analysis to the CTU team. The second day of the workshop began with Dr Tin from CTU conducting a presentation on the nature of the RVC in the Mekong Delta. This workshop included: (1) general rice production, (2) the mapped traditional RVC based on the last data collected by CTU, (3) challenges faced by the value chain actors and across the value chain and, (4) potential solutions/mitigations to these challenges. This was followed by a session on the rapid assessment of the RVC facilitated by the UQ Team to map out an updated traditional and certified (organic & SRP) RVC in the Mekong Delta, and participatory value chain mapping with the participants (Mr Mai Van Tung – Investment & Development Manager from Lotus Group (a rice company that produces and markets both organic and non-organic rice); Mr Nguyen Huu Phuoc – Organic farmer from Lotus Group; Nguyen Van Dinh – ‘advanced’ farmer who has practised SRP for one season). The trip also included visits to Trung An Mill, SunRice Lap Vo Mill and three prospective, cooperatives. Thus, the trip helped obtain preliminary data from value chain actors to aid in designing the questionnaire, understanding the Vietnamese RVC and developing a preliminary causal loop diagram.
Project members from SunRice, The University of Queensland, An Giang University, Can Tho University and Cuu Long Rice Research Institute, ACIAR representatives and An Giang DARD representatives attended the project commencement meeting at An Giang University on June 16, 2022. Photo: An Giang University. Team members from left to right: Dr Khang Tran (AGU), Mr Le Van Keo (AGU), Mr Duy Trinh (AGU), Mr Jarrod Pirie (SunRice), Dr Giang Nguyen (AGU) Ms Julia Checco (UQ), Ms Dao Vu (AGU), Associate Prof. Nguyen Thi Thu Nga (CTU), Dr Yanti Nuraeni Muflikh (UQ/IPB), Ms Luu Lan (SunRice), Ms Ho Thi Ngoc (SunRice), Mr Howard Hall (ACIAR), Ms Bui Chuc Ly (CTU), Dr Nguyen Anh Minh (CTU), Dr Nguyen Kim Thu (CLRRI), Mr Lam Dong Tung (SunRice), Dr Jaquie Mitchell (UQ), Associate Prof. Binh Ho (AGU), Dr Nguyen Thuy Kieu Tien (CLRRI), Prof. Dang Kieu Nhan (CTU), Ms Shona Wood (UQ), Ms Dang Thi Tho (CLRRI), Dr Tran Ngoc Thach (CLRRI), Dr Nguyen Hong Tin (CTU), Dr Tri Nguyen (AGU), Dr Tan Nguyen(AGU), Dr Ammar Abdul Aziz (UQ), Dr Chau Thanh Nha (CLRRI), Dr Hua Hong Hieu (CTU), Dr Nguyen Thanh Tam (CTU), Mr Tam Phan(DARD An Giang), Dr Khanh Nguyen (AGU), Mr Hinh Nguyen (DARD An Giang) and Mr Chung Ngoc (DARD An Giang)