Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Phuoc Trung (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’sagricultural sector will concentrate on shifting to crops and animals that can bringgreater economic value and improve farmers’ incomes, heard a conference in thecity on January 8.
Director of the municipal Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Phuoc Trung said the southern city hasannounced its list of key plants and animals, including vegetables, flowers,pigs, dairy cows, brackish shrimps, and ornamental fish.
In 2019, the agriculture sector sets to maintainits gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth at a high level of 6 percentand increase the average production value to 550 million VND (23,712 USD) perhectare, from 502 million VND (21,643 USD) per hectare in 2018.
To realise this target, the city will forgeahead with agricultural restructuring and boost the conversion of low-yield rice,sugarcane, and rubber farming to production of key crops products using hightechnology and biotechnology, Trung said.
HCM City is striving to expand its area ofvegetables certified with Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) from45.5 percent to 60 percent (equivalent to 12,300 hectares), while raising therate of VietGAP pigs from 45 percent to 47 percent (equivalent to 131,600heads).
Deputy Director of the municipal Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development Tran Ngoc Ho suggested the city needs morenew and efficient cooperatives to realise the goals of sustainable agricultureand urban development.
He suggested local authorities put forth morepreferential policies to attract young and qualified human resources to improvethe management of cooperatives, as well as encourage farmers to joincooperatives.
The official recommended developing processing,promoting trade, and expanding markets to increase the value andcompetitiveness of farm produce.
Besides, the agriculture sector shouldaccelerate administrative reform and improve the business investmentenvironment in order to draw foreign investment in the production, distribution,and export of agricultural products, he added. –VNA
VNA
