Nghe An will have more mechanisms to attract businesses to invest in agriculture.

On the morning of May 26, the People's Committee of Nghe An province organized a scientific workshop on theoretical and practical basis in identifying key plants and animals of Nghe An province.

Attending the workshop were comrades Nguyen Nhu Cuong - Director of the Department of Crop Production; Le Quoc Thanh - Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center and a number of officials from departments, offices and institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; comrades: Nguyen The Trung - former member of the Party Central Committee, former Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, former Deputy Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Committee; Ho Xuan Hung - former Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Vietnam General Association of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Comrades: Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van De - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development co-chaired the workshop.

Overview of the workshop. Photo: Lam Tung

Opportunity to exploit potential

Opening the workshop, comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's CommitteeIt is stated that in the period from 2014 to 2020, under many difficult conditions, the Provincial People's Committee promptly directed the agricultural sector and all levels, sectors and localities to implement the Project on developing key plants and animals and achieved outstanding results.

TThe average growth rate of the industry in the period 2014-2019 reached 4.8%; The economic structure within the industry continued to shift in a positive direction, the output of grain crops was over 1.2 million tons, completing the project's target.

The province has issued many policies and guidelines, creating favorable conditions and an open environment to encourage and call for businesses to invest in agriculture and rural areas; many businesses have invested in developing high-tech agriculture.

The comrades chairing the workshop. Photo: Lam Tung

In the province, many concentrated commodity production areas have been formed, creating large volumes of goods as raw materials for processing and export industries.

However, Nghe An still faces many difficulties and shortcomings in implementing key crops and animals. It is expected that 10/21 targets of the project will not be achieved or will have difficulty achieving the set targets: Production of peanuts, passion fruit, fresh tea buds, dry rubber latex, medicinal herbs, total deer herd, total cow herd, dairy calves and fresh milk output, pork and shrimp output.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu -Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee opened the workshop.Photo: Lam Tung

Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee organized a "Scientific workshop on theoretical and practical basis in identifying key plants and animals of Nghe An province" to listen to experts, scientists, and policy makers' suggestions and orientations in the coming period. Thereby, awakening the potential, maximizing the advantages of land, key plant and animal varieties of the province, clearly identifying key agricultural products of Nghe An province. At the same time, building a plan to focus on investing in developing these products associated with restructuring the agricultural sector, creating high added value, accelerating growth, developing sustainable agriculture, contributing to promoting the implementation of the National Target Program on new rural construction and the overall economic growth of the province.

Strategic suggestions

The workshop listened to 10 presentations from experts, analyzing and orienting the selection of key plants and animals, and at the same time proposed solutions, mechanisms and support policies in agricultural and rural development in general, including key plants and animals.

Many of the presentations are highly strategic and suggestive.

Mr. Ho Xuan Hung discussed at the workshop. Photo: Lam Tung

Mr. Ho Xuan Hung - former Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of Vietnam General Association of Agriculture and Rural Development agreed to include timber trees and medicinal plants in the main crops. For livestock, it is necessary to choose buffalo, beef cattle and dairy cows; besides, there are also pigs, poultry, seafood...

"Fortunately, Nghe An has been ahead in terms of seeds and technology, with the leadership of businesses. Therefore, Nghe An has persisted in the policy of promoting production according to the value chain applying high technology. However, it is necessary to review the consumption organization policy for key agricultural products not only in the processing and preservation stages but also in the stages of brand building, product promotion and advertising," said Mr. Hung.

Mr. Nguyen The Trung - Member of the Central Theoretical Council, former Deputy of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, former Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee said: Nghe An needs to review the long-term land fund planning for each tree, animal, and main product, boldly convert ineffective rice growing areas and steep hilly land areas to grow identified raw materials. Create an environment for businesses to invest in deep processing and organize domestic and foreign markets.

"Nghe An needs to choose 7 key products: Fruit trees (pineapple, orange, tangerine), tea, medicinal plants, dairy cows, seafood, Van Phan fish sauce, and wood products" - Mr. Nguyen The Trung proposed.

Shrimp harvesting at Mr. Dau Ngoc My's shrimp farm, hamlet 4, Dien Trung commune (Dien Chau). Photo: Xuan Hoang

Director of the Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh, said: The selection criteria focus on two main issues: comparative advantage and market opportunities. Each product needs to clearly identify the strategic market to have appropriate trade promotion solutions and product strategies. The agricultural sector needs to analyze the value chain of each product to advise on building a strategy for scientific and technical impact or support policies... to focus on prioritizing key products and supporting core businesses to invest in some stages of key product production.

Engineer Doan Tri Tue - Nghe An Plant Breeding Association, former Head of Technical Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed that in the coming period, Nghe An should only select and retain 7 key plants and 4 animals, including: rice, corn, peanuts, sugarcane, industrial tea, oranges and medicinal plants. Regarding animals, focus on investing in developing buffaloes, cows (including dairy cows), pigs, chickens and ducks.

Administrative reform to attract businesses

Speaking at the workshop, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that the scientific workshop on theoretical and practical basis in determining key trees and animals of Nghe An province in the period of 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030, has important significance for Nghe An.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung speaks at the workshop. Photo: Lam Tung

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that Nghe An will consider determining that the key plants and animals must be commercial products with a large proportion. If the key plants and animals are selected, they will create a high impact on the agricultural sector. In which, businesses must be considered as the driving force for development, and at the same time, production must apply technology.

In the coming time, Nghe An will continue to discuss and listen to opinions to choose truly reasonable key products.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee noted a number of key tasks in the coming time, which are to do well the planning of the agricultural sector in each territorial space in the province; Do well the administrative reform to facilitate businesses to invest in the agricultural sector; Promote the application of science and technology in agricultural production.

In the investment sector, the province will review budget sources, thereby creating support mechanisms; at the same time developing human resources in agriculture.

Delegates visit some agricultural products displayed at the workshop. Photo: Lam Tung

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to collect opinions to complete one more step to advise the Provincial People's Committee to seek opinions from the Provincial Party Standing Committee on the Project to develop key plants and animals of the province in the period of 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030.

The Departments of Finance, Planning and Investment, when balancing the budget for the period 2021 - 2025, shall advise the Provincial People's Committee and People's Council to prioritize balancing the budget to support investment in rural agriculture, especially the development of key crops and animals.