Advancing High-Tech Agriculture

Ninh Thuan has identified the advancement of high-tech agriculture, in conjunction with processing and exportation, as a pivotal task. This initiative is aimed at catalyzing transformative agricultural development and positioning high-tech agriculture as the linchpin of local economic growth.

The locally grown green grapes are cultivated in accordance with VietGAP standards

Unfavorable natural conditions, harsh climate and year-round heat hamper agricultural development. However, the abundance of sunshine and wind enables Ninh Thuan to farm locally indigenous crops and livestock such as grapes, apples, sheep, onions, garlic and asparagus. To effectively exploit this advantage, Ninh Thuan province is accelerating high-tech application to agricultural production to form large-scale regions and projects and produce quality agricultural products that bring highest value, competitiveness, comparative advantages compared to many agricultural products of other localities.

Accordingly, Resolution 06-NQ/TU dated October 12, 2021 of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee on continued high-tech agriculture development stated the targets of achieving the high-tech agricultural production value growth of 30-40% a year on average in in 2021-2025 and the high-tech agricultural production value of VND700 million per hectare. By 2025, the province will have 3-5 high-tech agricultural regions with a total area of 1,000 hectares; support forming 2-3 high-tech agricultural companies; attract at least two external companies to engage in high-tech agriculture or large-scale agricultural firms; and have least 30 effective high-tech agriculture projects.

Mr. Truong Khac Tri, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ninh Thuan province said: Following more than two years of implementing Resolution 06-NQ/TU, the performance against the established criteria has been commendable. Out of the twelve criteria, five have surpassed their respective targets, four have precisely met their targets, and measures have been put in place to ensure that the remaining three criteria are on track to meet their targets.

From 2021-2023, high-tech agriculture in Ninh Thuan grew by 32.31% annually, contributing 13.16% to the agricultural value. High-tech melon and grapes yielded over VND1.2 billion per hectare annually. The province recognized four high-tech firms and attracted 38 projects, including six large-scale local enterprises. Two products, tiger shrimp broodstock and aloe vera jelly, have been exported. The province met its 2025 target of producing 41 billion shrimp seeds, becoming Vietnam’s only producer of black tiger and white-leg shrimp broodstock.

Seeing companies as the centers of innovation, creativity, cooperation, association and application of science and technology, advanced technology and digital technology in management, administration and production to enhance the value and competitiveness of local agricultural products. Ninh Thuan province has applied many incentive policies to attract and support businesses and cooperatives to foster high-tech applications in production. As a result, many models have been formed to apply science and technology to produce plant varieties, livestock species and aquatic breeds of high productivity and high quality. The province has introduced measures and solutions regarding prevention and eradication of plant, animal and aquatic diseases; adopted economical watering technologies and intensive farming and production technologies according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ISO, ISO/IEC 17025, HACCP and organic standards. Net house and greenhouse farming models, biotech and microbiology models, soilless agricultural production technology, product preservation and processing technology, machinery and automation technology have been applied.

Given the achieved results, in the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to closely follow guiding viewpoints, targets, tasks and solutions stated in Resolution 06-NQ/TU, focus on the consistent implementation of key solutions in which the department will foster innovations in communication, thorough comprehension, perception and mindset of high-tech agricultural development and agricultural economic thinking; launch support policies to attract investment fund for high-tech agricultural projects; effectively manage and plan high-tech agricultural production areas, with priority given to aquatic seed production areas and deep-water marine farming areas; and pay attention to mobilizing investment resources for developing facilities and technical infrastructure for high-tech agriculture development, he added.

At the same time, the department will continue to effectively implement the cooperation agreement with the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-tech Agricultural Parks Management Board to launch scientific and technical advances in agriculture and high-tech agriculture, provide personnel support for high-tech agricultural production, assist in consulting and transferring scientific research results, sharing information and building database with agricultural experts and partners.

The department will speed up processing development; link production and trade promotion and expand consumption markets together with the above support policies, the OCOP Program and related project programs; reform trade promotion methods, develop markets in a practical and effective way from traditional markets to supermarkets and e-commerce platforms; strengthen inspection and supervision of agricultural food quality, hygiene and safety; improve State management in agriculture; accelerate digital transformation in high-tech agricultural development.

Furthermore, priority will be given to developing specific agricultural products with geographical indications and collective brand certification as OCOP products (like grapes, apples and asparagus), integrating common agricultural values through agricultural value chains associated with experiential tourism; build a mechanism for mutual support and risk sharing, establish balanced agricultural production and business process between cooperatives/enterprises and farmers; form a close agricultural production process to create quality and safe products, contributing practically to protecting the environment and human health and increasing the province’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP).

By Tran Trang, Vietnam Business Forum