Son La Agriculture and Environment Sector - 80 years of proud breakthroughs

On the afternoon of November 14, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Son La province held a meeting to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Agriculture and Environment Sector (November 14, 1945 - November 14, 2025).

This is an opportunity to express gratitude to generations of officials, to look back on the journey of building and developing the sector, and to reaffirm the determination to innovate and develop sustainable agriculture associated with effective resource management and environmental protection.

The mark of a pillar industry

Over 80 years of construction and development, the Agriculture and Environment sector in Son La has undergone a strong transformation, shifting from small-scale, self-sufficient production to large-scale commercial agriculture, applying advanced technology and linking with domestic and international markets.

The Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Son La province presented flowers to congratulate the leaders, civil servants, and public employees of the Son La Agriculture and Environment sector. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

The year 2025 marks a significant turning point as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are merged in accordance with the Party and State's policy of streamlining, effectiveness, and efficiency. This is not only a change in organizational structure but also a strategic step to unify the management of land, water, forest, and environmental resources, serving the development of green agriculture and sustainable rural areas.

Following the merger, the Department of Agriculture and Environment quickly stabilized its organizational structure, comprising 16 departments, units, and sub-departments, with over 1,000 civil servants, officials, and employees. The entire system has implemented state management tasks in a coordinated manner across all fields, ensuring smooth operation from the provincial level to the grassroots.

Up to now, the average GRDP growth rate of the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector has reached 5.1%/year. Many production indicators have maintained stable growth, making an important contribution to the socio-economic development of the province.

Son La currently has over 85,000 hectares of fruit trees with an average yield of 510,000 tons; 9 high-tech agricultural zones; and many products have been granted planting area codes, traceability, and exported to potential markets. The province has 24,300 hectares of coffee with a yield of over 37,000 tons of beans; 43,500 hectares of industrial cassava with a yield of over 530,000 tons, sufficient to meet the capacity of processing plants; 6,132 hectares of tea with a yield of over 56,000 tons; and over 10,000 hectares of sugarcane with a yield of over 650,000 tons.

The cooperative economy continues to develop strongly with more than 900 agricultural cooperatives operating effectively, playing an important role in linking production - processing - consumption of agricultural products.

Along with production development, special attention is paid to resource management and environmental protection, ensuring effective, economical and sustainable use of land, water and mineral resources; focusing on pollution prevention, control and climate change adaptation. Many models of rural household waste treatment, large timber plantation and upstream forest restoration are implemented synchronously, contributing to maintaining ecological balance and protecting the living environment.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Phung Kim Son affirmed that agriculture has been and is the main advantage that has helped Son La become one of the provinces with the largest fruit granaries in the North. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

Shifting thinking from production to agricultural economics

According to Phung Kim Son, Director of the Son La Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Agriculture and Environment sector has grown strong, affirming its important role and position for agriculture, farmers, rural areas, and resources and the environment in this era of development; in which, agriculture is a national advantage and an important pillar of the economy; farmers are the subjects and center of the process of agricultural development and building new rural areas; resources and the environment are the foundation and important resources for the development of Son La province.

However, the sector still faces many limitations: Development is not truly sustainable; production remains fragmented and lacks linkages; the quality of cooperative operations is uneven; formal land surveying is still low; many bottlenecks in land management have not been completely resolved; rural waste collection and treatment are still limited, and environmental pollution still occurs in some areas.

Based on that experience, Mr. Phung Kim Son affirmed: In the new phase, the entire sector is determined to effectively implement Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW of the Politburo on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas; the Resolution of the 16th Congress of the Son La Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030; and advise the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee on state management of agriculture and the environment according to the orientation of sustainable agricultural development associated with deep processing industries, in line with the two-tiered local government model.

In particular, the industry will strongly shift its thinking from production to agricultural economy, from single-sector development to multi-sector cooperation - multi-value integration; shift from agricultural supply chain to industry chain development. Restructure agriculture in a more practical and effective direction, exploiting and maximizing the advantages of each region and locality; towards the goal of ecological agriculture - modern countryside - civilized farmers.

Vice Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Cong emphasized: The development of the industry over the long journey has contributed significantly to Son La affirming its position as a major agricultural production center in the northern mountainous region. Photo: Nguyen Nga.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, acknowledged and congratulated the achievements that generations of leaders, officials, and workers throughout the sector have achieved over the past 80 years.

Looking ahead, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment to focus on implementing eight key tasks, prioritizing the review, research, and improvement of mechanisms and policies to attract the development of high-tech agriculture, organic agriculture, smart agriculture, digital agriculture, and ecological agriculture. This includes planning and investing in infrastructure for high-tech agricultural production areas, linked to the advantages of each locality for key crops, livestock, and aquatic products.

Promote the application of science and technology throughout the entire agricultural value chain, from production to processing and consumption, in order to improve productivity and quality, reduce costs, and protect the environment. Continue to strictly manage land, water, forest, and mineral resources; improve the effectiveness of environmental protection, control pollution, and proactively respond to climate change.

“Continuing to adhere closely to the viewpoint of the Resolution of the 16th Provincial Party Congress, which emphasizes the goal of rapid and sustainable development; focusing on high-tech commercial agriculture and agricultural product processing industries; making Son La a relatively developed province, an economic and social center of the Northwest sub-region; and a center for processing agricultural products in the Northern Midlands and mountainous region,” emphasized Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Cong.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nganh-nong-nghiep-va-moi-truong-son-la--80-nam-tu-hao-but-pha-d784197.html