Application of science and technology in production: Many problems need to be resolved

APPLYING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN MANY AREAS

In 2014, Mr. Ho Phuc Hoang's family (Van Dong hamlet, Quynh Bang commune) contracted 3 hectares of land for growing casuarinas from the commune to renovate for agriculture. At first, partly due to barren land, partly due to the newly implemented model, the limited application of science and technology, so the efficiency was low, even failures such as growing gac fruit. Through the application of scientific and technological advances, such as raising broilers using biosafety methods with traceable origins; growing vegetables, tubers, and fruits using organic methods and greenhouses, the model's efficiency has become increasingly clear.

According to Mr. Ho Phuc Hoang, currently over 1,000 m²Net houses are planted with intercropping, including melons, cucumbers, and eggplants, with income about one and a half times higher than normal production. The main area in the fields with all kinds of crops (melons, watermelons, squash, bitter melon, pumpkins, zucchini, carrots, radishes, cabbages...) also applies organic production methods and semi-automatic irrigation systems, creating a separate market for the products, especially significantly reducing labor and increasing product value.

Model of growing melons in a greenhouse of Mr. Ho Phuc Hoang in Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Mai Hoa

Comrade Ho Nghia Dung - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Bang Commune, shared: Implementing Project No. 02 of the Quynh Luu District Party Committee on applying high technology to promote the development of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, associated with the processing industry, period 2016 - 2020; Quynh Bang has built an action program to implement. Quynh Bang's approach is to select positive factors in agricultural production to visit and study models in localities to implement, creating a spread; associated with supporting people in terms of techniques as well as enjoying policies issued by all levels.

Currently, of the 200 hectares of vegetable area in Quynh Bang, semi-automatic irrigation has been basically applied; 186 hectares of shrimp farming have applied improved aeration systems, raised with biological products and some areas are raised in greenhouses to increase crops and improve product quality.

Also issuing the action program to implement Project No. 02, Quynh Thang commune clearly identified the breakthrough in the application of science and technology, which is selecting varieties, cultivation techniques, production, and processing. Accordingly, since the beginning of the term, in Quynh Thang, many models of applying scientific and technological advances have been deployed, such as growing winter biomass corn on 2-rice land with 20 hectares; applying SRI farming method to rice; introducing a number of new crops associated with the application of organic farming methods, without using pesticides and drip irrigation technology, mist spraying on 17 hectares of Xa Doai oranges, Valenxia oranges; 3 hectares of Quang Tien pink grapefruit, Dien grapefruit, seedless guava, longan...

Farmers in Quynh Thang commune press the roots of the incense tree. Photo: Viet Hung

In addition, Quynh Thang has also developed and expanded the area of ​​​​growing incense trees to 320 hectares (raw material for producing agarwood and incense sticks); mobilized people to innovate production methods, processing incense sticks, incense sticks, from manual to using machines for all stages of stripping leaves, pressing roots, pounding powder and rolling incense; contributed to the formation of a craft village and was recognized by the District People's Committee as a craft village in 2017. This is also a locality that has introduced mechanization with the rate of using machines in land preparation reaching 96%; harvesting rice by machine reaching 85% and in the commune there are also 2 agricultural product drying kilns serving farmers.

"After nearly 4 years of implementing Project No. 02-DA/HU, many advances in science, technology and high technology have impacted each stage and step of crops and livestock, from the seed stage to each stage in the cultivation, preservation and processing of agricultural, forestry and fishery products; contributing to reducing labor, reducing production costs, improving productivity and product value, and increasing people's income."

Comrade Dau Van Nam - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district

Basically, the vegetable growing area in Quynh Bang commune is using a semi-automatic irrigation system. Photo: Mai Hoa

Currently, in Quynh Luu area, about 80% of the vegetable growing area applies semi-automatic spray irrigation technology, an increase of more than 30% compared to before the project was issued; mechanization is applied to land preparation and rice harvesting in 100% of the area; some orange and grapefruit areas apply Israeli drip irrigation technology; vacuum packaging of Quynh Luu dried squid products or application of PU material to make cold storage tunnels for seafood...

In addition to the impact on each stage, there are a number of agricultural products that have been comprehensively impacted by science and technology through greenhouse production models, net houses for growing vegetables, tubers, and fruits such as tomatoes, melons, cantaloupes, and cucumbers (6 models); shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in 107/750 hectares of shrimp in the whole district; shrimp farming in covered cement tanks, shrimp farming according to the biofloc process in greenhouses in some localities such as the communes of Quynh Bang, Quynh Minh, Quynh Thanh, An Hoa, and Quynh Luong...

Shrimp farming model in covered cement tanks in Quynh Minh commune invested more than 7 billion VND. Photo: Mai Hoa

According to comrade Le Xuan Kien - Standing Deputy Secretary of Quynh Luu District Party Committee, looking at the goal of Project No. 02-DA/HU to promote the application of high technology in the production and processing of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to develop the agricultural sector in the direction of commodity production, modernity and sustainability, serving the cause of industrialization, modernization of agriculture and new rural construction, there are still many concerns.

Although the district has formed 3 quite clear agricultural economic zones, including vegetable area associated with aquaculture, rice area, fruit tree development area associated with livestock with a number of products in large quantities such as vegetables, aquaculture and fruit trees, especially pineapple with more than 1,000 hectares of pineapple; however, the weakest link is that the district has not attracted businesses to invest in the agricultural sector so that science and technology can impact the product value chain, from the seed stage, production process to processing and consumption, but is currently mainly applying high technology according to the individual and family farming model, leading to small-scale application at each stage and small-scale product scale, leading to the lack of a stable consumption market.

Because of the lack of "hands" from businesses, some agricultural products have high scientific and technological content but have not found their real value, because there is no clear market for high-tech products.

VietGAP shrimp farming in Quynh Bang, Quynh Luu. Photo courtesy

This was also shared by Mr. Ho Phuc Hoang in Quynh Bang commune through the fact that the selling price of vegetables and fruits from his family's high-tech agricultural products compared to conventionally produced products only increased by 50%, while the cost to produce high-tech products increased by 50% compared to conventional products.

Currently, there is no clear distinction between high-tech and conventional products and the retail market is small in some groups and departments, so the family's products must be brought to the general market about 60%, which means this 60% is not profitable.

In the field of fisheries, with narrowing fishing grounds and increasingly limited resources, while the application of science and technology in aquatic product processing is still limited, it has been posing concerns for the Party Committee and authorities at all levels in Quynh Luu to continue finding solutions to increase the economic value of aquatic products through large-scale deep processing, quality products, and brands in the market.

In the immediate future, the district is focusing on completing the planning for the construction of a concentrated seafood processing area and fishery logistics services in Quynh Thuan commune with a scale of 30 hectares to attract seafood processing investment projects. At the same time, it is actively attracting investors, supporting projects, and investing in the field of processing, drying, and packaging of vegetables and fruits of all kinds, serving the domestic and foreign markets. Only then will high-tech agriculture in Quynh Luu develop and be sustainable.

Quynh Luu fishermen prepare necessities to go offshore. Photo: Viet Phuong