Towards sustainable agricultural and rural development

In 2023, the province's rice output is estimated to reach over 3 million tons.

Changing production thinking

Many dangerous diseases in livestock and poultry have the potential to break out; the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic; high prices of agricultural materials; reduced agricultural land area; disruption of the global supply chain;... are the difficulties that the provincial agricultural sector must face in carrying out its tasks in the first half of the 2020-2025 term. However, with the attention and close direction of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee; the drastic participation of the entire sector, Party committees, local authorities, and the efforts of farmers, many targets of the sector are estimated to reach and exceed the set plan.

In the first half of the term, the provincial Department of Agriculture has done a good job of advising in directing the implementation of tasks related to agriculture and rural development; advising on the issuance of many important resolutions and decisions on mechanisms and policies to promote agricultural development and new rural construction (NRC) in the province, promptly creating "leverage" to promote industry growth. More importantly, farmers' production thinking has changed, from focusing on output to paying attention to quality, increasing product value; focusing on developing production according to standard processes, linking with the consumer market, maximizing the potential and advantages of the locality.

The Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term continues to select the High-tech Agricultural Development Program (HDA) associated with restructuring the agricultural sector as one of the three breakthrough programs. In order to complete the targets and tasks set out in the Resolution, the provincial agricultural sector proactively consults the Provincial People's Committee, coordinates with relevant departments, branches and localities to develop specific implementation plans according to the conditions and advantages of each region and locality. To date, the whole province has 47,174.55 hectares of HDA rice, 1,948 hectares of HDA vegetables, 2,946 hectares of HDA lemons, 4,945.43 hectares of HDA dragon fruit, 45.1 hectares of HDA shrimp and supports artificial insemination of high-quality breeds for 6,326 breeding cows.

Using remote-controlled aircraft to spray pesticides and fertilize rice

In addition, from 2021 to present, the whole province has converted about 4,937 hectares of ineffective rice land to grow annual crops (about 2,393 hectares) and perennial crops (about 2,544 hectares). These conversion models bring economic efficiency 2-3 times higher than rice cultivation.

Head of the Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Agricultural Product Quality Management of the province - Nguyen Van Cuong said: "Up to now, the whole province has had 288 codes for growing areas (dragon fruit, lemon, banana, watermelon, ...) with a total area of over 13,734 hectares, export markets China, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Korea, Japan and 163 codes for packaging facilities qualified for export. This is considered a "passport" for the province's agricultural products to approach and conquer demanding markets in the world, aiming for long-term connections, creating sustainable output for the province's agricultural products".

The province's total average annual rice output is over 2.8 million tons. In 2023 alone, rice output is estimated to reach over 3 million tons, exceeding the plan by more than 200,000 tons and the highest ever.

New rural construction goes into depth

While the New Rural Development Program for the 2010-2020 period has changed the face of rural areas in the entire province when infrastructure was invested in, built and upgraded, in recent years, the program has focused on improving the lives and incomes of rural people in a sustainable way.

Transport infrastructure is upgraded, rural landscape and environment are improved from the new rural construction program.

Up to now, the whole province has 121/161 communes meeting the new rural standards, accounting for 75.15% of the total number of communes in the province, reaching 85.2% of the plan; of which, 30 communes have met the advanced new rural standards, accounting for 24.79% of the total number of new rural communes in the province, reaching 52.63% of the plan. The whole province has 4/15 district-level units meeting the standards/completing the new rural construction task, reaching 40% of the plan. In addition, Can Duoc district basically meets the conditions to be recognized as a district meeting the new rural standards; Chau Thanh district basically meets the conditions to be recognized as a district meeting the advanced new rural standards, the provincial Department of Agriculture is preparing documents and procedures to submit to the Central Government for consideration and recognition.

Transport infrastructure is upgraded, rural landscape and environment are improved from the new rural construction program.

Head of the Provincial Department of Rural Development and Irrigation - Vo Kim Thuan informed: Implementing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, localities have supported people, businesses and cooperatives to promote the development of OCOP products, contributing to job creation and increasing income for people. As of November 2023, the whole province has 124 products meeting OCOP standards, of which 36 products have achieved 4 stars, 88 products have achieved 3 stars. These are all typical products and represent the strengths of each locality in the province; the subject focuses on improving quality, diversifying designs, packaging, ensuring conditions and regulations on stamps, labels, and product traceability. The economic value of the products has been increased thanks to meeting OCOP standards. At the same time, digital technology has brought products to consumers faster.

Strive to achieve and exceed the Resolution's targets

The restructuring of the agricultural sector has had initial results but is not yet clear; the consumption of agricultural products is not stable, the competitiveness of many agricultural products is not high; livestock diseases still occur on a small scale, although they have been promptly controlled, they still affect the herd restoration and development; the price of agricultural materials, especially fertilizers, pesticides, and animal feed, has increased, affecting production and reducing people's profits; the capacity and efficiency of cooperatives and cooperatives are still low, not really a solid "bridge" connecting with enterprises consuming agricultural products;... Therefore, to successfully implement the Resolution's targets in the coming time, the provincial agricultural sector must have synchronous and appropriate solutions.

According to Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Nguyen Thanh Truyen, in order to ensure the quality and progress of the assigned targets and tasks according to the Resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress, in the coming time, the provincial agricultural sector will focus on leading and directing the development of agricultural production and related fields, striving to exceed the set targets. In particular, the sector focuses on converting inefficient rice-growing areas to crops with high economic efficiency; focusing on developing cooperative and linked economies in production and consumption of products according to GAP processes to meet market requirements, contributing to improving production efficiency; striving for an average rice output of over 2.8 million tons/year in the 2021-2025 period, of which high-quality rice output accounts for 75%.

Converting crop structure appropriately, bringing high economic efficiency

At the same time, the industry focuses on developing livestock farming in the direction of farms, applying scientific and technical advances and high technology; gradually shifting from small-scale household farming to developing farm farming; organizing and implementing effective disease prevention and control in livestock and poultry; focusing on developing livestock herd restoration to ensure biosafety and disease safety conditions.

“In the coming time, the provincial agricultural sector will continue to deploy and implement the Program on Developing High-Tech Agriculture in association with restructuring the agricultural sector in the period of 2021-2025 and focus on implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development. By 2025, the province strives to have 88% of communes meeting New Rural standards; 10/15 districts, towns and cities meeting New Rural standards or completing the task of New Rural Development. In addition, the provincial agricultural sector will also strengthen trade promotion, market development; promote digital transformation, brand building, and traceability to "give wings" to agricultural products to reach further, towards green and sustainable agricultural development" - Mr. Nguyen Thanh Truyen said./.

Bui Tung

Source: https://baolongan.vn/huong-den-phat-trien-nong-nghiep-nong-thon-ben-vung-a167893.html