Nghe An province provides 5 billion VND in support for winter crop production on double-cropped rice land.
(Baonghean.vn) - Provinces continue to implement appropriate policies to support farmers in producing the winter crop effectively, based on the application of high technology... This was the directive of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Conference to evaluate the results of the 2018 winter crop production and implement the 2019 winter crop plan in the northern provinces.
On the morning of September 12th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with the People's Committee of Nghe An province, organized a conference to evaluate the results of the 2018 winter crop production and implement the 2019 plan for the northern provinces. Attendees included: Mr. Le Quoc Doanh - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;Dinh Viet Hong – Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee – co-chaired the conference.Attendees included representatives from departments and divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; and leaders of the agricultural sector from 28 northern provinces.
Prior to the conference, the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and leaders of the agricultural sector from 28 northern provinces, along with leaders from Nghe An province, laid wreaths and offered incense at Ho Chi Minh Square in Vinh City.
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| Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh speaks at the conference. Photo: Xuan Hoang |
The production target is 400,000 hectares in the 2019 winter crop season.
During the 2018 winter crop season, many localities in the northern provinces focused on developing in a way that enhances value and promotes sustainable development. Many models of crop conversion, production linkages along the value chain, and safe vegetable production according to VietGAP standards continued to be maintained and expanded.
The total cultivated area reached over 484,000 hectares, a decrease of nearly 4,000 hectares compared to 2017; however, the total value reached 27 trillion VND, an increase of over 1 trillion VND compared to 2017.
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| Delegates attending the conference. Photo: Xuan Hoang |
Based on an analysis and assessment of the difficulties and disadvantages caused by climate change; the instability of input costs for production; and the shortage of agricultural labor, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests that northern provinces continue to focus on shifting to a rational crop structure with high commercial value. They should promote vegetable production in planned, concentrated production areas, ensuring food safety and hygiene, linked to processing, and with a stable market outlet.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set a target for the northern provinces to reach 400,000 hectares, an increase of 15,000 hectares compared to 2018, with a total value of 30 trillion VND and an average production value of 75 million VND/hectare.
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| Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong visit the plant variety display booth at the conference. Photo: Xuan Hoang |
Providing 5 billion VND in support for winter crop production.
In Nghe An province alone, over 33,000 hectares of various crops will continue to be planted, with a value of 2,500 billion VND. Nghe An has identified several challenges, besides some advantages in terms of farmers' awareness and production experience, and some businesses linking up to consume products, this year's winter crop faces several difficulties: Complex and unpredictable weather patterns, heavily affected by storms and floods; Lack of decisive organization and direction in winter crop production in some localities, affecting the achievement of planned targets; Low efficiency in winter crop production in many areas; Unstable market for winter crop products; and an aging workforce in winter crop production…
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| A model of cantaloupe cultivation in Anh Son. Photo courtesy of Thai Hien. |
This year, Nghe An province continues to implement policies supporting farmers in winter crop production. In addition to the existing support under Resolution 14 and the New Rural Development program, this year the Provincial People's Committee has decided to allocate 5 billion VND to support farmers in growing corn and vegetables on double-cropped rice land and using genetically modified corn varieties.
In addition, local authorities have other support policies.
At the conference, many presentations shared successful and highly effective winter crop production experiences from several localities: Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Son La... and the Departments of Crop Production, Irrigation, Plant Protection, and some businesses that collaborate with farmers to consume winter crop products.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh commended the efforts of localities in the 2018 winter crop season, noting their decisive leadership that led to many high achievements, especially in increasing the value of winter crops. The task of producing the 2019 winter crop season is quite challenging; therefore, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requested provinces to continue implementing appropriate policies to support farmers in producing the winter crop effectively, based on the application of high technology.
Appropriate support is needed to develop models with crop varieties that can adapt to increasingly extreme weather conditions and have effective pest and disease resistance; support for cooperative economic models and production cooperatives in the form of chain linkages, ensuring sustainable output. In addition, localities need to pay attention to plant protection, especially the fall armyworm that damages corn crops.
