Analyzing the impact of productivity and quality management on the economic performance of rice-farming households: Evidence from Tap Son Commune, Vinh Long province

Abstract:

This study investigates the impact of productivity and quality management (PQM) practices on the economic performance of rice-farming households in Tap Son Commune, Vinh Long province. Using survey data collected in 2025 from 600 households, the analysis employs Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to mitigate potential selection bias inherent in observational data. The estimated average treatment effect on the treated indicates that households adopting PQM practices earn, on average, VND 22.3 million more annually than otherwise comparable non-adopting households, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from VND 15.4 million to VND 29.2 million. The findings further reveal that income gains are more pronounced when productivity improvements are integrated with technical training, process standardization, and stronger market linkages. These results provide robust empirical evidence of the positive contribution of productivity and quality management practices to household income and economic performance in rice production.

Keywords: productivity management, quality management, farm household economic performance, PSM, Tap Son, Vinh Long.

1. Introduction

Against the backdrop of Vietnamese agriculture shifting from output expansion toward higher value addition and sustainability, productivity and quality management has become increasingly important for farm households. In the Mekong Delta, climate change, rising input costs, and stricter market requirements intensify the need for standardized and efficient rice production (Tran et al., 2022; Tran et al., 2024).

At Tap Son Commune, substantial disparities remain across households in productivity, income, and output-market stability. Many households still produce mainly from experience, with limited cost recording and quality control, whereas better-organized households tend to enjoy stronger access to technical support and markets, as reflected in the 2025 author survey.

This study asks whether PQM adoption raises household income, how large the effect is, and which factors are associated with adoption. To strengthen causal inference in observational data, the study applies PSM to match comparable households before estimating the treatment effect on adopters (Hernan & Robins, 2020; Kurz et al., 2024).

2. Theoretical background and research method

Farm-household economic performance refers to the efficient use of production inputs to generate income, profit, and stable output at reasonable cost. In rice farming, performance depends not only on productivity, but also on market access, managerial organization, labor availability, and human capital (Tran et al., 2023; Tran et al., 2024).

In this study, PQM denotes the systematic application of practices such as suitable seed selection, input control, process monitoring, production recording, and market linkage. Under the counterfactual framework, the effect of PQM is defined as the income difference between adoption and non-adoption; because both states cannot be observed for the same household, PSM is used to construct a comparable control group and estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (Hernan & Robins, 2020; Kurz et al., 2024).

Primary data were collected in the 2025 Summer-Autumn crop from 600 rice-farming households, including 300 adopters and 300 non-adopters. The treatment variable equals 1 if the household adopted PQM and 0 otherwise, while the outcome variable is net household income (million VND/year). The propensity score is estimated using a logit model with covariates capturing productivity, training participation, market access, household labor, and the education of the household head; matching is then implemented within common support, followed by post-matching balance tests and ATT estimation.

Table 1. Description of variables used in the model

Source: Compiled from the 2025 author survey and cited references.

3. Results and discussion

Table 2 shows that, before matching, PQM adopters outperform non-adopters on most observed indicators. Average income is higher by VND 29.0 million per year, while productivity, training participation, market linkage, labor availability, and schooling are also significantly higher. These pre-existing gaps indicate that a direct income comparison would likely overstate the effect of PQM.

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of the study sample

Table 3 reports logit estimates of PQM adoption. Training, market access, and productivity have positive and statistically significant coefficients, suggesting that technical knowledge, stable output linkages, and stronger production performance are associated with a higher likelihood of adoption. Labor and education also show positive relationships, though with weaker significance, indicating that household resources and human capital facilitate management uptake (Nhan & Nay, 2024; Ogutu et al., 2025; Tran et al., 2023).

Table 3. Logit estimates of the probability of PQM adoption

Table 4 indicates that matching substantially improves balance: standardized bias for all covariates falls to 1.9-5.6%, and all post-matching p-values exceed 0.10. On the matched sample, the ATT equals VND 22.3 million per year, with a 95% confidence interval of VND 15.4 - 29.2 million and significance at the 1% level. Thus, after controlling for observable differences, the remaining income gap can plausibly be associated with PQM adoption.

Table 4. Post-matching balance diagnostics and ATT estimation

Overall, the evidence suggests that PQM improves economic performance by combining technical discipline with stronger production management. Households that record production, participate in training, and maintain market linkages are better positioned to control costs, stabilize quality, and meet buyer requirements. Policy support should therefore combine practical training, process standardization, market-linkage support, and simple digital record-keeping tools. Nevertheless, PSM addresses only observed differences; unobserved factors such as managerial ability or land quality may still affect the estimates, so future studies should use panel data or other quasi-experimental designs to test robustness.

4. Conclusion

This study shows that PQM adoption has a positive effect on the economic performance of rice-farming households in Tap Son Commune, Vinh Long Province. After controlling for selection bias through PSM, adopters earn, on average, VND 22.3 million more per year than comparable non-adopters.

Technical training, market linkages, and productivity are the factors most clearly associated with adoption, while labor and education also contribute positively. The findings imply that policies to improve rice-household income should move beyond yield enhancement alone and integrate quality management, farm-management skills, and stronger market organization.

References

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[3] Hernán, M. A., & Robins, J. M. (2020). Causal inference: What if. Chapman & Hall/CRC. https://miguelhernan.org/whatifbook

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[5] Kurz, C. F., Krzywinski, M., & Altman, N. (2024). Propensity score matching. Nature Methods, 21(10), 1770-1772. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-024-02405-4

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Phân tích tác động của quản lý năng suất và chất lượng đến hiệu quả kinh tế của các hộ trồng lúa: Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm tại xã Tập Sơn, tỉnh Vĩnh Long

Nguyễn Thị Cẩm Loan¹

Trần Thanh Vũ¹

Nguyễn Thị Lệ Chi²

Nguyễn Phước Huy³

¹Đại học Trà Vinh

²Trường Cao Đẳng Giao Thông Vận Tải

³Sinh viên, Đại học Trà Vinh

Tóm tắt:

Nghiên cứu này phân tích tác động của việc áp dụng các thực hành quản lý năng suất và chất lượng (PQM) đến hiệu quả kinh tế của các hộ trồng lúa tại xã Tập Sơn, tỉnh Vĩnh Long. Sử dụng dữ liệu khảo sát từ 600 hộ nông dân trong năm 2025, nghiên cứu áp dụng phương pháp ghép điểm xu hướng (Propensity Score Matching – PSM) nhằm hạn chế sai lệch lựa chọn vốn có trong dữ liệu quan sát. Kết quả ước lượng tác động trung bình đối với nhóm được can thiệp (Average Treatment Effect on the Treated – ATT) cho thấy các hộ áp dụng PQM có thu nhập bình quân cao hơn 22,3 triệu đồng mỗi năm so với các hộ không áp dụng nhưng có đặc điểm tương đồng, với khoảng tin cậy 95% dao động từ 15,4 triệu đồng đến 29,2 triệu đồng. Kết quả nghiên cứu cũng chỉ ra rằng mức tăng thu nhập rõ rệt hơn khi các hoạt động nâng cao năng suất được kết hợp với đào tạo kỹ thuật, chuẩn hóa quy trình sản xuất và tăng cường liên kết thị trường. Những phát hiện này cung cấp bằng chứng thực nghiệm vững chắc về tác động tích cực của các thực hành quản lý năng suất và chất lượng đối với thu nhập hộ gia đình và hiệu quả kinh tế trong sản xuất lúa.

Từ khóa: quản lý năng suất, quản lý chất lượng, hiệu quả kinh tế hộ nông dân, PSM, Tập Sơn, Vinh Long.

[Tạp chí Công Thương - Các kết quả nghiên cứu khoa học và ứng dụng công nghệ, Số 13 năm 2026]