From Training to Data-Driven Governance: CABIN Builds a Network of 740 Master Trainers for the Mekong Delta’s One Million Hectare Rice Program

From September to October 2026, the CABIN project has supported a Training of Trainers (ToT) series that brought together 740 participants from 284 communes across six Mekong Delta provinces, equipping them with digital tools to help scale up high-quality, low-emission rice production.

A bold target that needs people, technology, and data

The Mekong Delta has registered approximately 860,000 hectares for Vietnam’s flagship program, Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Production by 2030. This already represents 86% of the national target, a strong signal of commitment from local governments and farmers.

Registering land, however, is only the first step. Turning that commitment into real results on the ground demands well-trained people, practical technology, reliable data, and well-coordinated production systems.

A coordinated Training of Trainers series

To meet this need, the CABIN project supported a series of ToT courses jointly implemented by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), provincial agriculture authorities, and the Vietnam Rice Industry Association.

The program reached 740 trainees from 284 communes across six provinces, which together account for the full 860,000 hectares registered. These master trainers will form the backbone of a regional extension network, carrying knowledge and tools from the training room to cooperatives and farmers’ fields.

Two digital tools for precise, transparent rice production

Rice Crop Manager (RCM): the right fertilizer for each field

Participants received hands-on practice with Rice Crop Manager (RCM), a decision-support tool that generates nutrient recommendations tailored to specific growing conditions. RCM helps shift fertilizer management away from blanket, one-size-fits-all advice toward field-specific recommendations. The result is more efficient fertilizer use, lower input costs, and less waste, which also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

ViRiCert: tracking compliance and building trust

Alongside RCM, trainees were introduced to ViRiCert, a digital platform promoted by the Vietnam Rice Industry Association. ViRiCert enables extension officers, cooperatives, and producers to record, monitor, and assess how closely farming practices follow the One Million Hectare Program’s technical protocol.

Field data and evidence collected through ViRiCert help identify what has been done well, highlight areas for improvement, and provide a credible basis for evaluation. Over time, this data can also support assessment for the “Vietnamese Green Rice – Low Emission” label, linking production with growing market demands for transparency and product traceability.

From scale to quality

With 860,000 hectares registered, the next challenge is clear: converting scale into consistent, measurable quality. The master trainer network will play a central role by:

• Training local extension staff, cooperatives, and farmers in their own communities;
• Supporting the everyday use of digital tools such as RCM and ViRiCert;
• Collecting feedback from the field and helping refine technical recommendations.

Through this cycle of training, application, and feedback, production quality and outcomes can become more transparent across the entire region.

Technology as a way of managing production

For the Mekong Delta, technology must be more than software. It needs to become an integral part of how rice production is managed. When RCM guides nutrient decisions, ViRiCert supports compliance monitoring, and master trainers act as the bridge for knowledge transfer, the region’s 860,000 registered hectares gain a stronger foundation for high-quality, low-emission rice: unified in direction, yet adaptable to local conditions.

This marks an important shift from one-off training to data-driven governance, laying the groundwork for scaling sustainable rice production across the entire Mekong Delta.