Japan grants $140,000 to support organic agriculture in Vietnam’s Dong Thap

The grant agreement was signed on Friday at the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The project, titled ‘Developing Organic Farms and Eco-Friendly Communities in Dong Thap,’ is implemented by the Japanese non-governmental organization Seed to Table.

It focuses on training human resources in organic farming, food processing, and business management, while also researching ways to process local specialties and educating young people about environmental protection.

Seed to Table has been active in Dong Thap since 2020.

Over six years, the project built 22 organic vegetable greenhouses at schools, formed nine farmer groups cultivating more than 53,000 square meters of organic land, and introduced organic farming programs at 21 middle and high schools.

Seed to Table also organized training courses with Japanese experts and promoted exchanges between Dong Thap and Japan in agriculture and environmental education.

Le Ha Luan, director of Dong Thap’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the province is shifting from agricultural production to an agricultural economy, focusing on GAP standards, organic farming, and food safety.

He described the Japanese grant as “a very important driver” for building Dong Thap into a pioneer in ecological agriculture and modern rural development.

Japanese Consul General Ono Masuo praised the project’s achievements and expressed hope it would become a model for sustainable community development in the newly expanded Dong Thap Province, which merged with Tien Giang in July 2025.

The Japanese diplomat pledged continued support from the consulate.

Ino Mayu, Seed to Table’s chief representative, said the organization aims to expand the project’s success to former Tien Giang areas, training young people to return to farming and building advanced rural development models.