Quang Nam successful in restructuring agricultural sector

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Quang Nam (VNA) – The central province of Quang Nam has made impressive progress in agricultural restructuring, raising production value by 4.5 percent each year in 2008-2017.

At talks with a working group from the Ministry of Science and Technology led by Minister Chu Ngoc Anh on July 23, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture Le Muoi reported that the province’s economic structure has changed, with a lower percentage of agriculture in gross regional domestic products to 11.6 percent in 2017 from 25.84 percent in 2008, and higher ratio of forestry-fisheries sector.

After 10 years of implementing the 10th Party Central Committee’s resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, the locality’s agricultural production value has increased from 36.06 million VND per hectare in 2008 to about 80 million VND per hectare in 2018. Nearly 4,000 hectares of rice farm with low production have been switched to other plants with higher value.

At the same time, total cattle meat production increased from 49,297 tonnes in 2008 to 56,885 tonnes in 2017. The production value of the breeding sector rose to 2.15 trillion VND in 2017 compared to 1.6 trillion VND in 2008.

Meanwhile, Quang Nam has planted more than 10,000 hectares of forest each year, raising forest coverage by 1.38 percent per year to 56.9 percent in 2017.

In the aquatic sector, the province’s offshore catch reached nearly 45 percent of total aquatic output, up 15 percent over 2008. The increase of fishing vessels by six times to 758 in 2017 brings the province closer to its target of 60 percent in offshore catching in total aquatic output in 2020.

Aquatic farming also surged 70 percent from 2008, with production in 2017 reaching nearly 400 million VND per hectare.

The province has 57 industrial clusters which host 258 projects worth 13.2 trillion VND and create jobs for 57,049 people.

In the past 10 years, progress in technology research, transfer and application activities as well as human resources training have significantly helped the modernisation of agricultural sector and industrialisation of rural areas.

Many science-technology advances have been applied widely, enhancing value farm produce and contributing to transforming agricultural economic structure.

At the working session, Minister Chu Ngoc Anh lauded the achievements of Quang Nam over the past 10 years, noting that the success has improved living conditions for locals.

However, he pointed out that although the number of enterprises investing in agriculture and rural areas in Quang Nam expanded 4.5 times to 1,558 firms in 2018, the figure still only accounted for 23.5 percent of total businesses operating in the locality.

He suggested that the province apply production connectivity models, while encouraging the engagement of businesses via preferential policies.