The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reviews its work for the first nine months of the year.

On October 9th, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference to review the results of its work during the first nine months of the year and to implement tasks and solutions for the last three months of 2023.

In the first nine months of 2023, the agricultural sector overcame many difficulties and challenges related to weather conditions, plant and animal diseases, and market price fluctuations, achieving many positive results.

Regarding crop cultivation, the total area planted with annual crops in the province is estimated at 91.38 thousand hectares. Of this, rice accounts for nearly 70.8 thousand hectares, with an average yield estimated at 62 quintals/hectare (0.2 quintals/hectare higher than in 2022). Encouragingly, the area of specialty rice, glutinous rice, and high-quality rice continues to expand to 54.5 thousand hectares, reaching 77% of the total area; the area of organic production reached 2.46 thousand hectares, concentrated in Kim Son, Yen Khanh, Yen Mo, and Hoa Lu districts with Ninh Binh branded rice varieties such as Nep Hat Cau, Nep Huong, Huong Binh... Other crops such as corn, sweet potatoes, and various vegetables and legumes mostly achieved higher yields and production compared to the same period.

In accordance with Resolution No. 32/2022/NQ-HĐND of the Provincial People's Council, in 2023 the entire province continued to strengthen support for investment in machinery and equipment to serve agricultural mechanization from planting, harvesting, and preliminary processing stages... This contributed to solving the labor shortage in agriculture and increasing the production value of the agricultural service sector.

Regarding livestock farming, the first few months of the year still faced some difficulties due to disease outbreaks, high feed prices, and market fluctuations. However, from the third quarter of 2023, disease outbreaks were well controlled, and relatively high prices for live pigs and other livestock products created favorable conditions for people to restore and rebuild their herds. The total number of livestock and poultry increased compared to the same period last year. Aquaculture continued to maintain and develop stably. Total production is estimated at 55,573.4 tons, an increase of 2.2% compared to the same period in 2022. The production of mollusk seeds (clams, oysters) increased in both yield and output due to suitable environmental conditions and a stable market.

Implementing the New Rural Development Program, to date, the entire province has 8 out of 8 districts and cities that have met/completed the New Rural Development (NRD) standards; 119 out of 119 communes have met NRD standards; 33 out of 119 communes have met advanced NRD standards (27.7%), and 15 out of 119 communes have met model NRD standards (12.6%); 396 villages have been recognized as model NRD standards; and the two districts of Yen Khanh and Hoa Lu have completed their self-assessment dossiers for advanced NRD district status (27.7%).

The OCOP program in the province continues to receive attention and guidance. To date, the entire province has 148 products recognized as OCOP by 100 entities, including 80 3-star products and 68 4-star products.

To ensure the year's growth targets are met, the agricultural sector will focus on the following tasks during the last three months: Protecting and quickly harvesting the summer rice crop; developing winter crop production by expanding specialized farming areas to create safe, high-value agricultural products with stable markets.

In addition, it is necessary to strengthen field monitoring, effectively carry out forecasting and prediction, and promptly control major pests and diseases on crops. Proactively and decisively implement comprehensive and flexible measures to prevent, control, and contain diseases in livestock and poultry, ensuring food supply during the year-end period.

In addition, effectively inspect, guide, and direct localities to accelerate the progress of building new rural areas, ensuring quality and adherence to the 2023 plan. Strengthen the management, exploitation, and use of rural water supply stations, and pilot centralized rural wastewater treatment on a cluster-wide scale.

Nguyen Luu - Hoang Hiep

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