Bac Giang province to raise contribution of hi-tech agriculture

Bac Giang - The northern province of Bac Giang is to raise the contribution made by hi-tech agriculture in agricultural production value by 30 percent by 2030, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Duong Thanh Tung said Bac Giang plans to develop agriculture towards improving its efficiency and sustainability and ensuring national food security.

The sector’s annual growth is expected to average 1.5-1.6 percent in the 2021-2030 period. Horticultural products meeting safety standards are to account for 70 percent of total output, while those in husbandry and fisheries are to reach 80 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

Tung said Bac Giang has developed a plan for the enforcement of last year’s decision from the Politburo on ensuring national food security by 2030 in the province.

The province also aims to reduce its total farming land from 286,660 ha in 2025 to 271,690 ha in 2030, with agricultural production areas to come down from 124,450 ha in 2025 to 121,870 ha in 2030. Rice farming areas will also decline from 61,190 ha in 2025 to 51,207 ha in 2030.

Meanwhile, it will raise its livestock and poultry population from 26.46 million heads in 2025 to 35.64 million in 2030. The output of meat will then increase from nearly 260,000 tonnes in 2025 to 302,000 tonnes in 2030, while the number of eggs will grow from 250 million in 2025 to 300 million in 2030.

The province targets having 12,500 ha of aquaculture area by 2025, with output of 55,000 tonnes, rising to 12,700 ha and 60,000 tonnes, respectively, by 2030.

The rate of agricultural products cultivated under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and safety standards will rise to 60 percent in horticulture, 46.7 percent in husbandry, and 55 percent in fisheries by 2025. The number of processors and producers certified to meet food safety rules will reach 96 percent.

In the time to come, Bac Giang plans to develop the large-scale production of key agricultural products and local specialties, to bring into full play the potential of each local region.

It targets having about 70 “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) products, three of which - Luc Ngan lychee, Lang Van alcohol, and Chu noodles - are to be rated five stars by 2025. By 2030, the province eyes developing more than 400 OCOP products rated three stars or more.

To this end, it will take measures to not only boost production but also develop infrastructure and technology; facilitate human resources development; formulate supporting policies for farmers, enterprises, and localities; ramp up exports of local key products, such as lychee, processed vegetables, pork, and hill chicken; and establish an information system for food security.

Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries production in Bac Giang was valued at more than 36.5 trillion VND (over 1.58 billion USD) last year, up 6.7 percent against 2019. The province has so far developed 163 large-scale model fields of rice and vegetables, covering a combined area of nearly 5,150 ha.

Gross output per hectare of cultivated land reached 120 million VND in 2020, an increase of 14.3 percent compared to the previous year. Grain output exceeded 630,000 tonnes.

The pig population rebounded to 1 million heads. In addition to key livestock animals and poultry, such as pig and chickens, local farms have shifted to the farming of white horses, goats, rabbits, and honey bees. Meat output totaled nearly 220,000 tonnes live weight.