Final article: Developing organic agriculture while promoting digital transformation
Implementing the Organic Agriculture Development Project, applying science and technology to promote digital transformation in agriculture, especially in the processing stage, is a very important factor to improve the quality as well as the value, brand and increase the competitiveness of agricultural products. This is also a content that Resolution 39 of the Politburo on building and developing Nghe An province to 2030, with a vision to 2045 has clearly stated.

Thu Huyen - Hoai Thu
31/07/2024

Nghe An is a province with many resources of land, soil, forest, sea... very suitable for developing many types of agricultural products; the province also has a project to develop key plants and animals, linked with land management mechanisms, creating raw material processing areas.
Over the past two years, Nghe An has continuously ranked in the top 10 of the country in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The fact that many important investment projects are being implemented in the province will have a great impact on socio-economic development. The demand for agricultural, forestry and fishery products in the world market continues to increase, opening up export opportunities for processed agricultural products. And with the strong development of digital technology, businesses and people are interested in applying digital technology to production, processing, preservation and market information, increasing the value of agricultural products...

Nghe An province's agricultural sector has also focused on trade promotion, agricultural product consumption, and supply-demand connection through e-commerce platforms, in the following forms: Calling for investment, joint ventures in production, organizing and participating in fairs in the province and the country, specialized agencies (Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development, Tourism...) organize market research, introduce domestic and international products; work with corporations Big C, VinCom, Masan, Aon, CoopMart... to connect the consumption of agricultural products of the province. The agricultural competition project funded by the Japanese Government helps Nghe An's agricultural sector with agricultural development techniques, brand building and consumption markets in Japan. To date, Nghe An's agricultural products have been exported to 36 countries and many provinces and cities across the country.

Nghe An has an abundant "warehouse" of agricultural products, which can be compared to agricultural products of many countries in the world through many prestigious "channels" such as geographical indications, planting area codes, and being ranked by organizations around the world like many other localities in the same region with similar conditions have been and are implementing. For example, in Ha Tinh province, in 2012, the Vietnam Record Organization established a record for the specialties "Phuc Trach grapefruit" and "Huong Son orange" recognized in the Top 50 famous Vietnamese fruit specialties according to the criteria for announcing the value of Vietnamese specialties. These two brands have also been protected by the European Union (EU) for geographical indications. In 2022, Huong Son jackfruit pickles and Vung Ang flash squid were selected by the Vietnam Record Organization as Top Vietnamese specialties; Can Loc sticky rice wine and chewy ram were selected in the Top 100 Vietnamese gift specialties.
That is also the direction that Nghe An agricultural products have been heading towards.
Currently, many Nghe An agricultural products have been protected by the Intellectual Property Office for geographical indications such as Vinh oranges and Ky Son ginger. Nghe An eel porridge has been selected by the Vietnam Record Organization as one of the Top Vietnamese specialties. Localities in Nghe An are also implementing procedures to request geographical indications for a number of other agricultural products such as Khau Cam Xang rice of Con Cuong district, Tuyet Shan tea of Ky Son district, etc.

Particularly for rice, in Nghe An, there have been many good models in cooperation, production linkage, and product consumption for farmers such as quality rice production models of Nghe An Agricultural Materials Corporation, Vinh Hoa Science and Technology Company Limited, rice seed production linkage of Nghe An Plant Seed Center, Central Plant Seed Company...
To increase the value of rice production, according to Ms. Vo Thi Nhung - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, it is necessary to continue to have solutions to organize diverse and strong forms of association between farmers, businesses and other partners on the basis of innovating the operation methods of production organization forms of cooperatives, cooperative groups, etc. Investing in mechanization, technology, reducing post-harvest losses, continuing to improve more by applying advanced, modern, and appropriate technologies in the value chain of rice production and supply.

In particular, it is necessary to strengthen the formation of a chain linking the four sectors of the industry. In the long term, farmers will participate in production according to "large fields", "large fields" in the organic direction and farmers will be organized into production and consumption cooperatives. In particular, along with improving the quality of rice, promoting the building of rice brands to enhance competitiveness and develop the position of Nghe An rice in the market.

In Resolution 39 of the Politburo on building and developing Nghe An to 2030, with a vision to 2045, one of the tasks and solutions proposed is: Promoting economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation towards mainly relying on science and technology, innovation, creativity and digital transformation; developing green economy, circular economy; developing Nghe An to become the center of the North Central region in terms of trade, logistics, industry and high-tech agriculture.

Accordingly, develop the agricultural sector in a sustainable direction, gradually adapt to climate change, reduce methane emissions in agricultural production. Restructure agriculture according to key product groups and ecological zones to form large commodity production areas, apply high technology; promote linkage and cooperation along the value chain. Promote the effectiveness and spread of high-tech dairy farming projects, high-tech agriculture in Nghia Dan district; high-tech forestry zones, making Nghe An province a large center for wood production, processing and export in the North Central region; develop forests along with the carbon credit market; focus on developing non-timber forest product production, especially medicinal plants...
This is a solution that Nghe An has long promoted research, thereby applying science, engineering and technology to develop the province's key plants and animals. According to statistics, as of 2020, the whole province has a total agricultural cultivation area applying high technology of more than 23,816 hectares, accounting for 8.14% of the agricultural production land area. Nghe An province currently has 25 enterprises applying high technology in agricultural production. Among them, there are a number of typical enterprises such as TH Group, Vinamilk Nghe An, Nghe An Agricultural Materials Joint Stock Corporation, Vinh Hoa Science and Technology Company Limited, NASU Sugarcane Company Limited... These are leading enterprises, creating a spreading force in the development of high-tech agriculture in Nghe An province, creating an important shift, a "push" to improve productivity, quality, efficiency and value in the production of key plants and animals.

To date, Nghe An province has 6 enterprises recognized as high-tech agricultural enterprises. Of which, Nafood Group Company is recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the remaining enterprises, including Viet Uc Nghe An Company Limited, TH Dairy Food Joint Stock Company, Vinamilk Nghe An Dairy Farm, Mavin Animal Feed Production Company, NASU Sugarcane Company are recognized by the Provincial People's Committee.
Many businesses have also paid attention to scientific research in product development. For example, for medicinal plants, TH Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company is testing the cultivation of three rare medicinal plants: Ngoc Linh ginseng, purple orchid and Panax notoginseng; In Muong Long commune (Ky Son), Muong Long Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company under TH Group is testing the production of medicinal plants on an area of 136 hectares located at an altitude of more than 1,300m above sea level. Among them, there are key varieties such as Puxailaileng ginseng, 7-leaf 1-flower ginseng, Panax notoginseng, purple orchid, angelica, codonopsis, salvia miltiorrhiza, la han qua, red polygonum multiflorum...

Notably, the Puxailaileng ginseng species on Ky Son land was discovered on Puxailaileng mountain at an altitude of over 2,700m. This ginseng variety is assessed by experts to have the same quality as Ngoc Linh ginseng in Quang Nam. Moreover, for the first time in Nghe An, this ginseng variety was propagated from cell tissue with a success rate of about 30%. In addition, Muong Long Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company has also been building many models of propagation and planting a number of medicinal plants, of which some plants have been processed by companies into a number of products that are being consumed on the market such as red fo-ti, Solanum procumbens, Gymnema sylvestre, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum.
In order to apply high technology to production, in recent times, Nghe An province has effectively implemented the Central Government's support policies to create momentum for sustainable agricultural production development. Every year, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has presided over the development, review, supplement and well implemented the province's agricultural and rural development policies in accordance with each development stage of each product, each locality and each beneficiary.

The implementation of agricultural and rural policies in the province has reduced difficulties for farmers, contributed to increasing income value/unit area, forming concentrated agricultural production areas in the direction of commodity production for high economic efficiency, supporting and promoting the development of key plants and animals of the province,... However, the policies are generally still scattered, not strong enough to promote the development of key plants and animals of the province from production, processing, product consumption, ensuring food hygiene and safety,...
Regarding the issue of processing and increasing the value of agricultural products, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De said: In fact, the need to improve the quality and living standards has increased the demand for organic agricultural products. The organic production industry in Vietnam is being welcomed by many people. The trend of developing organic agriculture is of interest to the State with many future-oriented policies. Therefore, along with investing in science and technology in production and processing stages, organic farming and livestock farming is one of the sustainable solutions. In particular, on June 23, 2020, in Decision No. 885/QD-TTg, the Government approved the "Organic Agriculture Development Project for the period 2020-2030".

Implementing Decision 885, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing content and advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue the Project on Organic Agriculture Development in the province for the period 2022 - 2030; associated with restructuring the provincial agricultural sector towards increasing added value and sustainable development; exploiting the potential and strengths of organic agriculture in localities. This is considered one of the breakthroughs in the process of restructuring the agricultural sector. Accordingly, there are 7 key products to be implemented, including: Rice; fruits (oranges, grapefruits, pineapples); raw materials for processing (tea, sugarcane); meat (pork, poultry); fresh cow's milk; wood and wood products; shrimp, fish.
“This is also one of the steps to concretize the Politburo's policies and directions on building Nghe An province as stated in Resolution 39/NQ-TW on: Promoting economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation towards mainly relying on science and technology, innovation, creativity and digital transformation; developing green economy, circular economy; developing Nghe An to become the center of the North Central region in terms of trade, logistics, industry and high-tech agriculture”, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De emphasized.
On July 20, 2022, the Government issued Decision No. 858/QD-TTg approving the Strategy for developing agricultural mechanization and processing of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to 2030. The goal is to develop organic agriculture with high added value, sustainability, and environmental friendliness, associated with a circular agricultural economy serving domestic consumption and export. Organic agricultural products are certified to comply with regional and international organic agricultural standards; making Vietnam a country with an organic agricultural production level on par with advanced countries in the world.