Leveraging agricultural development in Bac Kan

Over the past period, Bac Kan province has implemented various forms of support and guidance for people to develop production in the direction of value chain linkages. As a result, many types of crops and livestock have been cultivated systematically, have stable markets, and create sustainable income.

Potatoes were a common crop in Na Ri district many years ago. However, most of them were grown spontaneously by the people, mainly as a way to change crop structure during droughts. The market was unstable, with products only sold at local and district markets, resulting in low and inconsistent income.

Since 2020, with the support and guidance of the local government, the integrated potato farming model has changed the small-scale, fragmented farming practices. In Tran Phu commune, people organize integrated potato farming with cooperatives. The cooperatives provide seeds, fertilizers, and technical guidance on planting and caring for the crops to the households. At harvest time, the cooperatives guarantee the purchase of the produce. In this way, the harvested product is uniform, of good quality, and at a stable price, while the people do not have to worry about finding buyers.

According to Ban Huu Than, Director of Binh Minh Cooperative, in the past season, the cooperative implemented a linked potato cultivation program in seven communes of Na Ri district with an area of ​​nearly 50 hectares, double the area compared to 2024. Because this model has been implemented for several years, the people have mastered the techniques, are confident in production, and the yield and quality of potatoes are guaranteed. The soil in Na Ri is suitable for potato cultivation, so the cooperative will continue to maintain the linked cultivation program in the following years.

Not only potatoes, but the organization of production along the value chain has "elevated" many familiar crops, becoming the main source of income for people in remote areas. In the fields of Ban Mun, Duong Phong commune (Bach Thong district), recent seasons have been covered with the green of cucumber plants. Previously, rice fields here, even with sufficient water, could only be cultivated twice a year. Now, by switching to cucumber cultivation in partnership with the cooperative, people can cultivate up to four crops per year. 1,000 m² of cucumber cultivation can bring in an income of about 20 million VND per crop, many times higher than growing rice.

Ms. Ma Thi Hat, from Ban Mun village, shared: "Previously, my family only knew how to cultivate rice. Seeing other households growing cucumbers and earning a stable income through cooperative farming, I registered to participate. With the cooperative's support in terms of seeds and techniques, my family's 1,000 square meters of rice fields were quickly replaced with cucumbers. After more than a month, the plants were ready for harvest, yielding a higher income than rice, so I will continue to participate in cooperative farming in the future."

Thanks to systematic guidance and the active integration of support resources, in recent years, districts and cities in Bac Kan have simultaneously implemented many projects linking production development with strong and potential crops and livestock. According to Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet, Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Na Ri district, from the national target program for socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, in 2024 alone, the district invested more than 16 billion VND to implement 32 projects supporting linked production development. The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction invested more than 11 billion VND to implement 22 projects. These projects all focus on crops and livestock with strengths specific to each commune, such as: linking production and consumption of ginger; linking production and consumption of pumpkins; linking production and consumption of potatoes, etc.

According to the Bac Kan Department of Agriculture and Environment, implementing Resolution No. 08/2019/NQ-HĐND and Resolution No. 01/2022/NQ-HĐND dated April 27, 2022, of the Provincial People's Council stipulating a number of policies to support the development of commercial agricultural production; and to support capacity building for the collective economic sector in the province, the province has implemented 34 projects linking agricultural production and consumption, including 16 livestock projects, 15 crop projects, and three medicinal plant projects, with a total budget of over 32 billion VND.

Implementing three national target programs, Bac Kan has deployed more than 110 projects and models supporting production development linked along the value chain. Of these, 64 projects and models are under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; 30 projects are under the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction; and 16 models and projects are under the national target program for building new rural areas. The total approved budget is nearly 120 billion VND, benefiting 4,400 households.

Many projects have been sustainably maintained even after the support ended, such as: the linkage in production and consumption of pork products of Ha Anh Cooperative, Bach Thong district; the linkage in production and consumption of herbal products of Thien An Cooperative, Bach Thong district; the development of production linkages along the value chain associated with the consumption of commercial pork products of Huy Ngoc Cooperative, Ngan Son district; the production linkage associated with the consumption of Shan Tuyet tea in Cho Don district by Ngoc Thang Agricultural Development and Medicinal Herb Processing Company Limited; the production linkage associated with the consumption of Bac Kan turmeric products of Tan Thanh Agricultural Cooperative...

According to the Provincial Farmers' Association, the mindset and farming practices of farmers have changed positively. Farmers' associations at all levels have advised, guided, and supported the establishment of 78 cooperatives with 725 members; and the establishment of 744 cooperative groups with 7,217 members...

According to the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nong Quang Nhat: The projects have been basically implemented well. Through them, the lives of the people have been gradually improved, contributing to increased income, creating jobs for rural workers, and alleviating poverty in the locality.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/don-bay-phat-trien-nong-nghiep-o-bac-kan-post880298.html