At the Forum on Attracting Investment in Green Agriculture Development 2024, organized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of VCCI, shared his insights: “The world is facing a challenging equation when it comes to ensuring food security. The need to transform the agricultural food system towards greater efficiency, comprehensiveness, flexibility, and sustainability has become imperative.”
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AS AN INEVITABLE TREND
In the current context, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong believes that Vietnam is making positive strides in agriculture, leveraging its advantages in this sector. Simultaneously, the country is gradually expanding and enhancing the scale and level of production, maintaining growth in both quantity and quality, meeting domestic food demands and export needs, and contributing significantly to GDP growth.
Citing data from the General Statistics Office, the VCCI Vice President revealed that in the first six months of 2024, the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector achieved a GDP growth rate of 3.38%, the highest in the first half of the year over the past five years.
Specifically, agriculture grew by 3.15%, forestry by 5.34%, and fishery by 3.76%. Total export turnover reached USD 29.2 billion, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2023. With these impressive results, the agriculture sector is confident in raising its export target for the entire year to USD 57-58 billion, exceeding the government’s initial goal by USD 2-3 billion.
“Agriculture has truly become a crucial pillar of the economy and is expected to play an even more significant role in the future. Additionally, agriculture will lead the trend towards green and sustainable development,” Mr. Phong emphasized.
In the program for the development of urban agriculture in Ho Chi Minh City for the period of 2021 – 2030, the city aims to achieve an average annual growth rate of 1 – 1.5% in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and the value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery production.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development sets the goal of increasing the proportion of high-tech agricultural production value to 45 – 50% of the total value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery production. The city also strives for over 35% of agricultural cooperatives to adopt high-tech applications.
Sharing similar sentiments, Mr. Le Minh Dung, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers Association, asserted that the development of green agriculture is an inevitable trend. In the case of Ho Chi Minh City, the People’s Committee has issued Decision 1589/QD-UBND dated December 29, 2023, approving the plan to implement the National Strategy for Green Growth towards Sustainable Development in the city for the period of 2021-2030.
This decision underscores the importance of developing agriculture in tandem with green, organic, and circular practices, aligning with market demands. It is considered a pivotal orientation in the National Strategy for Green Growth and Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture.
According to Mr. Le Minh Dung, the development of modern and sustainable urban agriculture, oriented towards high-tech and biotechnology, is imperative as Ho Chi Minh City faces a shrinking agricultural land area. Additionally, the city is actively researching and transferring advanced agricultural models and breeding new plant and animal varieties.
“To date, Ho Chi Minh City has allocated 87 hectares of land for the High-tech Agricultural Park. Notably, the infrastructure in this park has been completed and fully occupied. The city is now proposing an expansion of this initiative,” Mr. Dung informed.
NINH THUAN PROVINCE ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS IN GREEN AGRICULTURE
As a coastal province in South Central Vietnam with favorable transportation links, Ninh Thuan enjoys climatic advantages for agricultural development, with an average temperature of 27-28 degrees Celsius, making it ideal for cultivating various crops.
Speaking at the forum, Mr. Trinh Minh Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan People’s Committee, highlighted the region’s daily 12 hours of radiation and an annual radiation level of 28,000-32,000 units, creating ideal conditions for agricultural production.
Mr. Hoang acknowledged that in the past, Ninh Thuan was considered the driest province in the country, facing significant disadvantages. However, over the last decade, this challenge has been transformed into an opportunity. The abundant sunshine and wind have positioned Ninh Thuan as a leader in clean energy production in Vietnam.
“This unique climate has fostered the development of various agricultural crops. For example, lan ho diep, a popular orchid species, is initially grown in Ninh Thuan and then transferred to Lam Dong for further care before being sold during the Tet holiday season. Additionally, Ninh Thuan has the largest area of cucumber production in the country, adhering to organic and circular practices, utilizing organic fertilizers and energy,” shared the Vice Chairman of Ninh Thuan People’s Committee.
In terms of irrigation, Ninh Thuan boasts the largest and most automated irrigation system in Vietnam. The province is committed to developing agriculture and green agriculture, as outlined in its 2021-2030 plan with a vision towards 2050, leveraging its unique advantages.
“Many farmers in Ninh Thuan are adopting organic farming practices, reducing chemical and pesticide use, and implementing water-saving irrigation systems. Notably, the province has been granted 37 region codes for growing areas, including 15 codes for export-oriented regions and 22 codes for domestic markets, covering an area of over 235 hectares,” Mr. Hoang added.
