Developing hi-tech agriculture in upland areas

Hi-tech agricultural production is quite familiar to delta regions but still strange to people in the mountainous area of Son Dong (Bac Giang province). To make it a main trend in sustainable agricultural production, Son Dong district’s Party Committee has directed authorities to grasp the real situation and above all, officials, Party members and young people who dare to think and do are the leaders in building hi-tech models.

Officials of Son Dong district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division visit the model of growing Lingzhi mushrooms of Nguyen Van Thanh's family in Dong Duong village, An Lac commune. Photo: Xuan Thoa.

Exemplary models

On 4,000sq.m of land near the stream in Bieng village, An Lac commune, there is a garden of Yen Tu yellow apricot blossoms being in bud, making many people interested. The garden is built scientifically, with straight lines, camera operating around the clock and drip irrigation system controlled remotely by smartphone.

Hoang Thi Ninh, head of the district's Agriculture and Rural Development Division, said from the district leaders’ idea of preserving precious gene sources as well as making a highlight in the Tay Yen Tu Spiritual-Ecological Tourism Area, she bravely proposed developing a model of growing Tay Yen Tu yellow apricot using high technology. 

The division, in collaboration with the Center for Flowers and Ornamentals Research and Development (under the Central Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute), has studied, surveyed and implemented the model in Bieng village. 

The total cost for carrying out the model is over 500 million VND (21,900 USD). Trees planted are growing well, promising to show off in the famous destinations of the district and create a new tourism-agriculture product for the locality.

Visiting the first farm of Vietnam completing the process of raising rare northern geckos owned by Ngoc Van Vien (born in 1989) in Thuong village, Long Son commune, we just understand why he is called by other farm owners as "the king of gecko”. 

Vien said that after leaving the army, he spent more than 10 million VND (438.5 USD) buying 140 geckos to raise but due to lack of experience, he bought southern geckos. This type of gecko has low medicinal value and is not suitable for the climate in the north. 

After more than three months, all of the geckos died of many diseases. However, he was still determined to pursue this direction. Combining the purchase of breeding geckos and catching of natural geckos, he has gradually developed his farm like today. 

The farm is often home to more than 5,000 geckos, including the parent, breeding and commercial geckos. On average, each year, he sells over 1,500 geckos, earning about 500 million VND, not including the revenue from raising crickets.

To date, raising geckos has been multiplied not only in Son Dong district but also many places in and outside the province, helping local residents have more income from animal husbandry.

Raising the value of native plants and animals

Ngoc Van Vien (second from right) introduces commercial geckos.

Hoang Mi Ca, Vice Secretary of the district Party Committee, said that the application of high technology and the development of advanced production models are identified by the district as important solutions to sustainable agricultural development. 

Models of hi-tech production and intensive farming applying advanced technologies include planting safe vegetables, growing medicinal mushrooms in the forest, and raising local specialty animals. Effective models have been encouraged to be duplicated, bringing a new way of thinking about agricultural production and new farming practices to farmers.

At the same time, the district has directed relevant units to focus on developing forest, garden, hill and farm economy and pay attention to developing indigenous and medicinal plants. Since the beginning of the tenure, the area of indigenous and medicinal plants in the district reached 187.5 hectares, including 147.5 hectares o indigenous plants and 40 hectares of medicinal plants.

Recently, the Son Dong district Party Committee has instructed the district People's Committee to build agricultural development models in the locality with the aim of investing, supporting and orienting production, thus creating typical livestock products towards building commodity brands such as goat, chicken, rabbit and gecko.