The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) reported on May 29 that its team collaborated with The Mekong Delta Development Research Institute at Can Tho University to organize training for new extension workers and students in southwest Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The program focused on measuring and reducing postharvest losses in the rice value chain, a key concern for the region known as the country’s “rice bowl.”
Anna Snider, associate director of the ADM Institute for Prevention of Postharvest Loss at ACES, said, “Using practical and locally relevant content, the training program raised awareness of the high levels of postharvest losses and in identifying and applying appropriate solutions. Ultimately, by training 25 students and extension workers who will continue to train others, this program aims to enhance farmers’ income and promote more sustainable agricultural development in the Mekong Delta.”
Data collected during the project indicated that all respondents experienced losses due to unfavorable weather conditions and improper machine operations. Other causes included poorly maintained harvesters and harvesting too late, which resulted in overripe rice. Snider said, “We also learned that the area’s postharvest losses in rice are much higher than farmers estimate. The trainees now know how to more accurately measure postharvest losses.”
Based on these findings, facilitators recommended strengthening measurement systems, continuing trainings, and identifying targeted interventions. The project was funded through a seed grant from the International Academic Partnership Program with an aim to strengthen ties between American and Vietnamese universities.
The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences allocates $3.8 million annually in scholarships for students; promotes social well-being through nutrition programs; utilizes its own agricultural experiment station for research; maintains a 96% freshman retention rate; offers over 400 study abroad opportunities; and aims to advance knowledge globally across agriculture, consumer sciences, and environmental sciences, according to its official website.
