Converting nearly 5,500 hectares of rice land to other crops.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of December 4th, Mr. Dinh Viet Hong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, chaired a meeting to hear and give opinions on the plan for restructuring crop patterns on rice-growing land.period 2015-2020.

Representatives from relevant departments and agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Planning and Investment, and the Department of Science and Technology attended the meeting.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lap, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, presented some contents of the draft plan for converting rice cultivation land.

Nghe An has the second largest rice-growing area in the North Central region, with productivity and output constantly increasing. The area in 2015 reached 186,551 hectares.

In line with the changing structure of agricultural production, ensuring food security, mitigating adverse weather impacts such as floods and droughts on agricultural production, and based on market demand, from 2013 to the present, Nghe An province has converted over 4,200 hectares of rice land to other crops, with many conversion models yielding high economic efficiency.

Mr. Pham Van Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment, gave his remarks.

From now until 2020, Nghe An province plans to convert nearly 5,500 hectares of rice-growing land to other crops and combine it with aquaculture. This includes 306 hectares of single-crop rice land and 5,150 hectares of double-crop rice land (3,685 hectares converted to a one-crop rice-crop and one-crop cash crop system, and 1,466 hectares completely converted to other crops).

It is projected that during the period 2016-2020, the total area of ​​other crops converted from rice land will be 7,500 hectares, including 3,562 hectares of corn, 791 hectares of vegetables and flowers, 1,206 hectares of aquaculture, in addition to sesame, fodder crops, soybeans, etc.

By 2020, the rice cultivation area decreased by approximately 7,500 hectares, rice production decreased by 41-42 thousand tons, corn production increased by 15-16 thousand tons, and soybean production increased by 550-600 tons.

From 2013 to the present, Nghe An province has converted over 4,200 hectares of rice land to other crops.

Concluding the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee stated clearly: The conversion of crop structure on rice land should not only be applied to low-yield rice land but also to fertile rice land to achieve higher economic efficiency.

The conversion must ensure the goal of increasing the value of rice production and income per unit of land, raising people's income while still ensuring food security in both the short and long term. The conversion of rice land to other crops must adhere to the principle of not losing the conditions suitable for rice cultivation, not causing pollution or degradation of rice-growing land, and not damaging irrigation and transportation infrastructure serving rice cultivation.

Phu Huong