Developing sustainable agriculture and applying high technology.

As the Year of the Horse approaches, Son La's agriculture continues to affirm its role as a pillar of the economy with a sustainable, modern, and efficient development orientation. Based on leveraging regional advantages, forming concentrated commodity production areas, strengthening value chain linkages, and applying high technology are gradually becoming important driving forces, contributing to increasing the value of agricultural products and improving the lives of rural people.

Provincial leaders visit the Navel orange model farm in Van Son ward.
Photo: Thanh Huyen

Formation of concentrated production

Taking advantage of its diverse natural conditions, plateau terrain, mild climate, and vast land area, the province has proactively restructured agricultural production according to ecological zones, focusing on developing key crops. This helps farmers effectively exploit land potential, overcome fragmented and small-scale production, and shift towards the formation of concentrated production areas, applying advanced technology and organizing value chains to increase production value per unit area. To date, the province has over 85,000 hectares of fruit trees; 24,300 hectares of coffee; 5,850 hectares of tea; 43,500 hectares of cassava; and nearly 10,000 hectares of sugarcane.

Over the past five years, Son La's agriculture sector has maintained an average growth rate of 3.44% per year, accounting for approximately 23% of the province's economic structure; the average income per hectare of cultivated land has increased by more than 10% per year, reaching approximately 85 million VND/hectare. Notably, the proportion of high-tech agriculture accounts for about 10% of the total value of the entire sector, demonstrating the correct direction in reorganizing agricultural production. Many of the province's key agricultural products are increasingly asserting their position in domestic and international markets.

High-quality tea plantations in Van Ho commune.

Mr. Tran Nhu Kien, Director of Phuong Nam Cooperative in Long Phieng commune, said: From an initial 80 hectares of longan orchards, the cooperative has partnered with 23 households in the area to expand the longan cultivation area to 303 hectares, becoming a large-scale specialized longan growing region. To improve product quality, the cooperative has transferred techniques to its members and partner households for practical application in late-ripening longan production, such as: girdling the trunk and pruning branches to inhibit tree growth, delaying flowering and fruiting; regularly monitoring the tree's shoots and leaves, and adjusting the nutritional regime appropriately. The entire longan area in the cooperative's production zone has been certified for food safety, meeting export standards.

High-tech agricultural zone in Moc Son ward.

Similarly, the Ngoc Hoang Agricultural Service Cooperative in Ta Hoc commune, established in March 2016, currently has 215 members, cultivating over 350 hectares of various fruit trees, primarily dragon fruit (300 hectares), with an annual yield of over 1,200 tons. Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Director of the Cooperative, stated: The cooperative actively participates in trade fairs and conferences to connect supply and demand and promote its products. Thanks to standardized production and close links with businesses, the cooperative exports nearly 1,000 tons of dragon fruit annually to France, the Netherlands, Italy, and many other EU countries.

Breakthrough in the application of high-tech agriculture.

Mr. Vu Tien Dinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: Based on leveraging regional advantages and concentrated commodity production, Son La province has identified the application of science and technology as a breakthrough to improve agricultural productivity, quality, and competitiveness in the market. The province has focused on building a legal framework, mobilizing and effectively integrating resources to promote the development of high-tech agriculture.

Tourists visit a high-tech orchid garden in Moc Son ward.
Photo: PV

One of the key solutions is to review land use planning, facilitate land consolidation, and convert approximately 190,000 hectares of forest land into integrated agroforestry production, aiming to optimize land resources and improve people's livelihoods. In addition, the province has issued many policies to support the development of livestock farming, medicinal plants, and value chain linkages, thereby attracting businesses to invest in agriculture, reorganizing production, and improving the quality of agricultural products towards safety and sustainability. To date, mechanization has reached 100% in land preparation for sugarcane, tea, and rubber, and over 50% for other crops. Along with this, the province supports the application of modern technologies such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, greenhouses, and the introduction of many new high-yield, high-quality fruit varieties.

In addition, the province is promoting digital transformation in agriculture, considering it a crucial solution for transparency and standardization of production processes. It supports the development of traceability systems for 62 agricultural products and 69 other products and goods; manages the OCOP program through digital platforms; and focuses on registering and protecting domestic and international certification trademarks. To date, the province has 3,209 hectares using sprinkler and drip irrigation systems for fruit trees and industrial crops; built over 115.5 hectares of greenhouses and polytunnels; achieved 264.8 hectares of organically certified crops, 5,596 hectares with VietGAP certification; and 23,448 hectares of coffee certified for sustainable production.

The model of growing black grapes in greenhouses by farmers in Chiềng Mung commune.

The province has recognized 9 high-tech agricultural zones with key products such as tea, dairy cows, coffee, custard apple, mango, longan, and plum; established 262 safe agricultural product supply chains; protected 31 products with intellectual property rights; registered 218 planting area codes covering over 2,800 hectares; and achieved provincial and national OCOP (One Commune One Product) ranking for 214 products. The province's agricultural products are present in 21 countries and territories, including many demanding markets with high requirements for quality, food safety, and traceability.

Processing - the ultimate goal of sustainable agriculture.

To complete the value chain and enhance the added value of agricultural products, our province has identified the development of deep processing industries linked to raw material areas as a fundamental and long-term direction. In recent years, the province has actively attracted businesses to invest in building factories and processing facilities for coffee, fruits and vegetables, milk, and food right in the raw material areas. To date, the entire province has over 560 agricultural processing facilities, including 17 large-scale processing plants, which help reduce transportation and post-harvest preservation costs, create stable outlets for farmers and cooperatives, and promote large-scale, standardized production. Many processed agricultural products have been diversified in terms of types and designs, extended shelf life, and expanded consumer markets.

The model of orange cultivation by farmers in Chiềng Mai commune.

Along with product procurement, processing enterprises are also deeply involved in reorganizing production, contributing to changing farmers' farming mindset towards commodity production, closely linked to market demand. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of Dong Giao Export Food Joint Stock Company, said: The fact that Son La province pays attention to planning concentrated raw material areas and supporting production linkages has created favorable conditions for businesses to confidently invest in the long term. Through linkage contracts with cooperatives and households, businesses can proactively secure a stable source of raw materials, meeting processing and export requirements; at the same time, they can directly provide technical guidance and control quality right from the initial production stage.

In addition, the province focuses on developing cold storage systems, post-harvest preservation, and agricultural product logistics, contributing to reducing losses and regulating supply and demand according to seasonal cycles. The development of deep processing is creating a positive ripple effect, promoting the formation of stable raw material areas, production along closed value chains, linked with the application of high technology and environmental protection.

From specialized production areas to increasingly sophisticated supply chains, Son La's agriculture is showing a new, more systematic, sustainable, and market-oriented image. With a focus on leveraging regional advantages, promoting concentrated commodity production linked to the application of science and technology and deep processing, agriculture is creating a stable growth foundation for the economy, opening up prospects for increased income and improved living standards for the people.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/phat-trien-nong-nghiep-ben-vung-ung-dung-cong-nghe-cao-TFrIObvvg.html