Harvesting tea leaves in Dich Qua commune, Thanh Son district, Phu Tho (Photo: VNA)Phu Tho (VNA) – Thenorthern midland province of Phu Tho’s efforts to apply advanced technologiesin agriculture have paid off, creating production areas with high quality and productivity.
Based on its advantages in terms ofconvenient transport infrastructure and a favorable ecosystem, the province hasworked to boost investments in agriculture. Within the past five years, itattracted 42 enterprises investing in animal husbandry, crop cultivation,fisheries, and animal feed processing.
The mergence of land plots, whichis being performed across 94 communes, has been utilised to lay the basis forthe formation of large-scale high-tech farming zones. To date, concentratedplantations of rice, corn, and various fruits have been established in Phu Thotown, as well as the districts of Lam Thao, Tam Nong, Thanh Son, Thanh Ba, HaHoa, Thanh Thuy, and Doan Hung.
In Tam Nong alone, 19 out of 20communes with 13,000 households have taken part in the land merging process,with its high-tech agricultural area now spanning over 10ha. Local farmers havealso enjoyed assistance from the provincial authorities to develop theirfarming practices.
In 2015, Nguyen Hoang Manh, aresident in Huong Non commune, invested over 400 million VND (17,117 USD) borrowedfrom the bank in building a 1,500sq.m net house to grow vegetables. After awhile, his model proved effective and he was aided by the provincial authoritiesto construct a polytunnel on nearly 3,500sq.m of land. The entire project cost2.7 billion VND (115,572 USD), close to 30 percent of which was covered byManh’s family. Inside the polytunnel, his family mainly grows muskmelon, cucumber,tomato, and other seasonal vegetables and fruit.
Manh’s farming model applies asystem of nets, convection fans, drip irrigation, and sprinkler irrigation. Thecultivation process strictly follows set standards, thus reducing the use ofpesticides and producing healthy plants. Net house farming also has the majoradvantage of not being weather-dependent, so farmers can take control of theproduction plan and minimise the risk of failed harvests. As such, each year,the model allows the cultivation of at least three crops, with the output reachingabout 1.5-4 tonnes of vegetables and fruits per 360sq.m and profits ranging from400-500 million VND (17,120-21,400 USD).
Manh said his family used tofollow the traditional practice of small and scattered production, whichresulted in low yield and quality. According to him, after receiving assistancefrom the province to build a greenhouse system and apply advanced technology inproduction, material and labour costs were reduced and productivity was 1.5times higher.
Currently, many agriculturalproduction models are being deployed across Phu Tho in accordance with the specificconditions of each region, connecting farmers to businesses throughagricultural product distribution contracts.
From the linkage, farmers havereceived investment and technical support, and secured a stable output andbetter incomes. Meanwhile enterprises can ensure a constant supply of materialsources, expand production scale, and increase competitiveness.
Economic efficiency has beenrecorded for a number of local units following the model, including theproduction of exported bananas in Tam Nong, safe vegetables in Lam Thao and CamKhe, and the distribution of chicken meat in Viet Tri city.
However, amid global integration,farm produce nationwide, including those in Phu Tho, will face competition fromforeign products. Effective agricultural restructuring has become a crucialstep for the large-scale production of high-quality and competitive goods.
According to Tran Tu Anh, DeputyDirector of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, thework requires a gradual change in the production mindset of local farmers,which in turn needs concerted efforts, guidance, and communications activitiesfrom authorities and related organisations.
In the coming time, the local agriculturesector will push for production restructuring in the planning of agriculture,forestry, and fishery development; as well as the issuance of favorable policiestargeting farmers and investors. It will also deliver frequent market updatesto guide production; develop concentrated farming areas; and strengthen thelink among the production, processing, and distribution channels of farmproduce.–VNA
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