Agriculture affirms its position as a pillar of the economy (Part 1): "Paving the way" for agricultural development

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - After a long period of the COVID-19 pandemic, all socio-economic activities of the country and the province have been affected, especially industrial production and trade and service activities, which have only recently gradually recovered. However, the agricultural sector has remained steadfast, maintaining growth momentum even during the pandemic years, becoming the "salvation" of the economy, maintaining stable and sustainable development.

The hydroponic vegetable production area of ​​Thien Truong 36 High-Tech Agricultural Trading and Service Company Limited (Dong Tien Ward). Photo: Thanh Hoa

In the context of agricultural production facing numerous fluctuations from market conditions to weather, Thanh Hoa province is gradually asserting its role as a "solid rear base" for farmers through a series of practical support policies to "pave the way" for strong agricultural development and maintain its role as a pillar of the economy .

Movements from policy to practice

The 19th Congress of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee identified the "Agricultural Development and New Rural Construction Program" as one of the six key programs to be implemented during the 2021-2025 period. Therefore, along with continuing to implement Resolution No. 13-NQ/TU, dated January 11, 2019, of the 18th Provincial Party Committee on land consolidation and concentration for large-scale, high-tech agricultural development by 2025, with a vision to 2030 (referred to as Resolution 13), during this period, the province has continuously implemented practical policies to help people transform production towards large-scale, modern methods to improve productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness. At the same time, it has promoted the application of high-tech and smart agriculture to form specialized areas for large-scale, high-quality commodity production. The formation and development of value chains from production and processing to consumption... This contributes to the comprehensive development of the agricultural sector and gradually shifts the mindset from agricultural production to agricultural economics, contributing to increasing the value of agricultural products. Through the implementation of Resolution 13, from 2021 to 2025, the entire province accumulated and concentrated an additional 33.8 thousand hectares, exceeding the plan by 5.6%. This is the foundation for effectively implementing policies in all areas of crop cultivation, livestock farming, and aquaculture.

During the period 2020-2025, the Provincial People's Council issued resolutions on mechanisms and policies to support agricultural production development, such as: Resolution No. 385/2021/NQ-HĐND dated April 26, 2021, on mechanisms and policies to support the development of raw material ramie in Thanh Hoa province, 2021-2023; and mechanisms and policies to support the purchase of vessel tracking devices and subscription fees for vessel tracking device services for owners of fishing vessels with a maximum length of 15m or more in Thanh Hoa province, according to Resolution No. 21/2021/NQ-HĐND dated July 17, 2021, of the Provincial People's Council. Resolution No. 185/2021/NQ-HĐND dated December 10, 2021, on the promulgation of policies for the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in Thanh Hoa province, giai đoạn 2022-2025; Resolution No. 01/2023/NQ-HĐND dated March 24, 2023, on amending and supplementing a number of resolutions of the Provincial People's Council in the field of agriculture and rural areas in Thanh Hoa province... The province's agricultural production development policies focus on supporting 7 target groups, including: supporting concentrated, specialized safe vegetable production; supporting infrastructure for concentrated livestock farms; supporting the development of intensive, concentrated planted forests; supporting the application of new material technologies in the construction of new storage facilities for harvested aquatic products for fishing vessels and offshore fishing logistics; supporting concentrated fruit tree production; Providing support for relocating livestock farms out of prohibited areas within Thanh Hoa province; supporting the development of products under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program.

Immediately after the agricultural production support policies were issued, the agricultural sector and localities actively disseminated the contents of the resolutions and policies through various forms to ensure people's access to them. As a result, the province's agriculture has undergone positive changes, with many areas and production models generating economic value ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of VND/hectare/year.

Gradually developing a modern and comprehensive agricultural system.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thien, Director of Thien Truong 36 High-Tech Agricultural Trade and Service Company Limited (Dong Tien Ward), said: “Our company has invested in approximately 20,000 square meters of greenhouses and integrated production areas, covering 3.6 hectares, to develop a high-tech agricultural model. Currently, we specialize in cultivating yellow melons, baby cucumbers, and other safe vegetables and fruits... To obtain the current production land, the company has received attention and support from the local government and relevant departments. In addition, the support mechanisms and policies that the province has implemented have become a lifeline, giving the company more motivation to develop production and business towards large-scale production, high-tech applications, and value chain linkages.”

The mechanisms and policies implemented by the province during the 2021-2025 period have been and continue to be supported by localities, businesses, and people. This has contributed to land consolidation and concentration for the development of large-scale, high-tech commodity production; encouraged investment in agricultural and rural infrastructure; promoted mechanization in production processes; and improved food safety and hygiene. Through support funds, organizations, individuals, and households have upgraded and built new infrastructure in 241 hectares of concentrated, specialized safe vegetable production areas; and supported the control and certification of VietGAP for 228 hectares of safe vegetables. Simultaneously, over 972,000 tissue-cultured seedlings have been provided for production forest planting; and fertilizers have been provided for intensive cultivation of bamboo, reed, and other similar plants on 13,839 hectares. The policy involves constructing forest roads to serve concentrated production forest areas covering 19,600 hectares; and granting sustainable forest management certificates for 13,902 hectares. In addition, the policy provides funding to support commune-level People's Committees in building road infrastructure, electricity lines, and water supply systems to the farm boundaries for 11 concentrated livestock farms, and to build infrastructure for 25 concentrated fruit production areas; supporting seedlings for 119.6 hectares of fruit trees; and providing numerous training courses and technology transfer on the production, preliminary processing, processing, and preservation of fruit products.

In reality, the mechanisms and policies implemented by the province in recent times have not only paved the way for the agricultural sector to gradually move towards modernization and high added value, but also represent the province's commitment to working alongside the people to create breakthroughs in agricultural development. This has gradually increased the productivity and output of crops and livestock, enhanced the value of agricultural products, and improved the competitiveness of Thanh Hoa's agricultural products in both domestic and export markets.

Thanh Hoa

Lesson 2: Expectations from agricultural products reaching global markets.

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nong-nghiep-khang-dinh-vi-the-tru-do-nen-kinh-te-bai-1-mo-duong-de-nong-nghiep-phat-trien-261035.htm