Improving productivity increases income for corn farmers.

On the morning of June 21st, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with the Hanoi People's Committee, organized a conference on developing maize production in conjunction with restructuring crop patterns in the northern provinces. Attending the conference were representatives from the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of the northern provinces, experts, scientists, and businesses operating in the maize production sector.

The delegates attending the workshop.

During the conference, delegates unanimously agreed on the assessment that corn is the main food crop in Vietnam, second only to rice. Developing corn production, with a model of converting from rice cultivation to corn cultivation, is one of the solutions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement the "Scheme for restructuring the agricultural sector towards increasing added value and sustainable development".

Over the past 10 years, the area and yield of maize in various localities have continuously increased. Currently, the whole country has approximately 1.2 million hectares of maize, with a yield of 44.5 quintals/hectare; production increases by an average of about 170,000 tons annually, with the increase in area mainly concentrated in the northern mountainous and midland regions.

However, in reality, expanding the area under cultivation and increasing corn yields to boost farmers' income in our country still faces many difficulties. Compared to some countries in the ASEAN and Asian regions, our corn yields still lag far behind.

Mr. Dao Duy Tam, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated: Production must be geared towards achieving at least 6 tons/ha of corn yield to ensure profitability. Currently, yields are only approximately 5 tons, which is insufficient to guarantee farmers' profits. In the future, in addition to information dissemination, planning, and mechanization, it is necessary to intensify cultivation, introduce scientific and technological advancements, and improve production processes in corn farming.

To develop maize production in conjunction with crop restructuring in the northern provinces, several suggestions have been made: The review and planning of maize development areas must ensure advantages and greater efficiency compared to older crops, forming large-scale production zones and value chains, with particular emphasis on the role of businesses in signing contracts and guaranteeing product purchase from farmers.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat stated that every year, the livestock industry has to import a large quantity of corn to use as feed for livestock and poultry. In the first five months of this year, Vietnam imported more than 2 million tons of corn, worth 500 million USD. Therefore, corn production presents an opportunity to tap into the animal feed market for the crop farming sector, thereby bringing higher income to farmers.

“By implementing measures that allow corn farmers to earn higher incomes than those from other crops, farmers will voluntarily participate. Vietnam must strive to increase corn productivity faster than other countries in the world, only then will corn have a firm foothold. To achieve this, special attention must be paid to areas with advantageous conditions for corn production, through technical solutions and organizational management, creating opportunities for farmers to increase their income,” Minister Cao Duc Phat emphasized.

According to VOV.VN