The arduous journey to secure an international "passport" for rươi rice from the Port City

When the "pure gold" of alluvial land says no to chemicals

Rice cultivation linked to ragworm habitats

Unlike many agricultural regions struggling to transition toward clean production, people in the alluvial plains of Hai Phong have long been accustomed to entirely natural farming practices. Mr. Tran Van Trung, Director of Hai Au Viet Investment JSC, shared that the core reason lies in the existence of ragworms (rươi), a specialty aquatic creature regarded by locals as the "pure gold" of this land.

Ragworms are naturally extremely sensitive to their living environment. Even a tiny amount of chemical fertilizer or pesticide leaching into the field can cause mass mortality among ragworms. Therefore, to maintain the ecosystem for this specialty species to thrive, the entire field must strictly say no to chemicals and preserve the natural organic humus layer in the soil. Rice cultivation becomes an important link, creating an ideal symbiotic environment for both rice plants and ragworms to develop together.

However, transitioning from traditional farming practices to achieving international organic certification is a long and challenging journey. Starting the conversion in 2017, the enterprise and local residents spent nearly 10 consecutive years remediating the soil and adjusting production habits to meet the strict standards of international markets.

Under the stringent requirements of the US USDA standards, many practices farmers once considered entirely natural were still not permitted. Manure sourced from industrial livestock farms, genetically modified corn bran, and agricultural inputs of unverified origin were completely eliminated. Over several years, the partner enterprise worked closely with farmers, patiently guiding them to alter even the smallest habits in their farming practices. The sweet reward arrived in February 2026 when the entire production area was officially granted international organic certification, firmly placing its name on the global organic agriculture map.

“Hardship upon hardship” on muddy ground

Behind the prestigious certificate lies a long journey of enduring countless challenges from nature and harsh farming conditions. Organic farming means farmers must virtually accept giving up chemical pest control, as all synthetic interventions are strictly prohibited. There have been seasons when stem borers struck across large areas just as the rice was about to head. While conventional farms could resolve this thoroughly with a few rounds of chemical spraying, here, both the enterprise and the farmers could only watch helplessly as yields dropped dramatically.

In addition to pests and diseases, consecutive natural disasters in recent years have also posed major challenges to farmers' livelihoods. Powerful storms such as Typhoon Yagi made landfall right when the rice was flowering, causing rice panicles to lodge, resulting in widespread empty grains and total crop loss. Alongside this, saltwater intrusion has threatened to disrupt the ecosystem of the ragworm (rươi) fields. To adapt to adversity, farmers have had to flexibly integrate stocking crab seed and utilizing natural shrimp stocks to maintain ecological balance in the fields. At the same time, timely intervention by local authorities in strictly regulating sand mining and riverbed dredging has contributed significantly to mitigating the risk of salinity contamination in the recent harvest season.

Speaking with a reporter from the Vietnam Organic Agriculture E-Magazine, Ms. Pham Thi Thuy, Chairwoman of the Nghi Duong Commune Farmers' Association, said the commune currently has 787 hectares of rice land, including 40 hectares under organic farming and 250 hectares under traditional production. To build a sustainable organic rice area, the Association has partnered with businesses and specialized agencies to provide biological farming training, transform local farming practices, and implement mechanization support policies.

To date, Kien Quoc organic rice has reached supermarkets across Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City and has been exported to the United States. Maintaining clean rice-growing areas helps increase the value of agricultural products and paves the way for circular economy models (rice–aquaculture systems, duck farming and organic fertilizer production from agricultural by-products) that boost farmers’ incomes.

In addition, facing the challenge of saltwater intrusion, the Commune Farmers' Association is proactively coordinating to monitor water resources, guiding farmers to use salt-tolerant varieties, increase organic fertilizers, and adjust cropping patterns to adapt to climate change and ensure stable production.

Fields that cannot be mechanized

While many modern production areas are stepping up field mechanization, at the ragworm fields of Hai Au Viet Investment JSC in Nghi Duong Commune, almost all stages still have to be carried out entirely by hand. This is due to the unique characteristics of the soil in this area, which must always remain soft, loose, and deeply muddy to suit the natural growth conditions of ragworms. Consequently, transplanters or high-capacity agricultural machinery can hardly operate in the fields.

From weeding and transplanting rice to tending the fields, everything relies entirely on manual labor. Notably, most direct farm laborers today are elderly women and mothers, as most of the younger generation has left to work elsewhere. Farmers have to wade through deep mud for days on end to transplant each seedling by hand, with daily wages reaching up to around 500,000 VND. This figure clearly reflects the hardship and perseverance behind every grain of clean rice.

"Storm-dodging" strategy to safeguard the golden harvest

In response to increasingly erratic weather conditions, Hai Au Viet Investment JSC, together with typical affiliated households such as Mr. Do Danh Huong with 16 hectares, Mr. Luong Van Cuong with 30 hectares, Mr. Pham Van Xuan with 35 hectares, and Mrs. Nguyen Si Nam with nearly 10 hectares, proactively implemented a staggered planting strategy. Arranging different sowing schedules—early and late—not only helps balance the scarce manual labor supply but also minimizes risks from natural disasters. If one area is unfortunately damaged by a storm, crops in other areas can still be harvested, avoiding total crop failure across the entire region.

It is precisely the strict production process and high level of risk that create the distinct value of alluvial organic rice. While conventional rice production can easily achieve high yields, organic rice from sandworm-rice fields yields only about 5 tons per hectare in favorable seasons, and difficult weather seasons yield only about 3 tons or even less.

In return, the rice quality is rated by experts and the market as premium thanks to its absolute cleanliness and superior nutritional value. Currently, the enterprise focuses production mainly on the Tet holiday market, when the seasonal crop yields the most delicious quality. Accordingly, the premium organic rice line is currently sold for around 120,000 VND per kilogram, while the more popular product line remains stable at 68,000 VND per kilogram.

Affirming the green agriculture brand of Northern Vietnam

The model linking hundreds of hectares of isolated palolo worm fields outside the dyke not only prevents chemical cross-contamination from surrounding production areas, but also stands out as a shining example of the organic farming movement in the North. Overcoming arduous days on muddy fields, tearful harvests due to natural disasters, and countless rigorous challenges of international certification, the farmers of Nghi Duong commune today still wear radiant, optimistic smiles along their perimeter embankments.

Within each tiny grain of rice is the crystallization of nearly a decade of perseverance, the purity of nature, and the aspiration to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to the global market with true quality. That arduous journey has proven that, even from seemingly humble alluvial lands, Vietnam can completely produce world-class agricultural products—true "pearls" worthy of representing the green agriculture of the future.