43% of greenhouse gases from agricultural activities

Annual emissions from agricultural activities are equivalent to 65 million tons of CO2, accounting for over 43% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The main source of emissions is from paddy rice cultivation, agricultural residues and livestock waste. Forecast of emissions by 2030 will continue to increase to nearly 30%.

The above data are presented at the workshop 'Effective use of agricultural waste to improve soil fertility, increase crop productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions' . The seminar was co-organized by the Institute of Agricultural Environment (Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences) in collaboration with the UK Embassy on February 29 in Hanoi.

Agricultural activities cause high greenhouse gas emissions
(Photo taken at the field of Me Linh district - Hanoi)

According to scientists, the reuse of crop and livestock by-products into bio-organic fertilizer, biochar, biogas . not only minimizes environmental pollution, improves soil fertility , increase crop productivity, save costs, but also contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the ecological environment and public health.

However, the reuse of agricultural by-products in Vietnam is very limited. Dr Cao Viet Hung, Department of Crop Production said, the current demand for using organic fertilizer in Vietnam is very large, estimated at 13 million tons / year while the production capacity of fertilizer plants Domestic organic fertilizer only reaches 500 thousand tons / year, very low compared to demand. Meanwhile, only some major crops such as rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane each year have about 50 million tons of by-products.'With 50 million tons of by-products, if handled in accordance with the regulations, the production of 13 million tons of organic fertilizer is completely feasible , ' said Dr Hung.

In the livestock sector, currently there are over 500 thousand biogas plants in the country producing about 450 million cubic meters of gas per year, the potential will reduce about 22.6 million tons of CO2 and save about VND 1,200 billion of fuel per year. According to MA Nguyen Quynh Hoa, Department of Livestock Production, with nearly 100 million tons of livestock waste discharged each year, the treatment of this waste source is far too modest.

In order to improve the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, towards a low-carbon, environmentally friendly agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed a scheme to 'reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and rural areas. ' . The project aims to 2020, Vietnam will reduce 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the cultivation sector reduced by 9.46 million tons of CO2, livestock reduced by 6.3 million tons of CO2, fisheries reduced by 3 million tons of CO2 and rural industries reduced by 4.78 million tons of CO2 .