Binh Thuan calls on businesses to invest to exploit agricultural potential

Not yet fully exploited agricultural potential

Binh Thuan is a province in the South Central Coast region with a total agricultural land area of more than 700,000 ha, of which more than 350,000 ha are agricultural production land. The land resources of this province are diverse and quite flat, which is favorable for the formation of concentrated production areas with large-scale commodities.

Accordingly, the province currently has a dragon fruit area of approximately 30,000 ha, a rice area of more than 50,000 ha, a rubber area of about 45,000 ha, and a cashew area of more than 18,000 ha. This is an abundant raw material source for the development of processing industries from industrial crops and staple food crops.

Binh Thuan has a total forested land area of more than 340,000 ha, of which planted forests and scattered trees cover more than 45,000 ha, along with wood reserves of 25 million m3 and grass. This is a favorable premise for establishing wood processing factories and developing ruminant farms, as well as beef and pig processing factories.

Besides, the province has a coastline of 192km and a fishing ground of about 52,000 km2, making it one of the major fishing grounds in the country with rich seafood resources. Many areas of alluvial and tidal flats along rivers and near the coast can be used for semi-intensive shrimp farming. Phu Quy Island, located 120km from Phan Thiet City, can raise fish in cages and other seafood. Therefore, it can be said that this province has favorable conditions to develop the seafood processing industry for export.

According to Mr. Mai Kieu, Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province currently has about 352 facilities for preliminary processing and processing of agricultural and aquatic products, contributing significantly to the province's export turnover.

However, besides the potential and advantages, the Binh Thuan agricultural sector still has some limitations, has not fully developed its potential, and has not fully exploited key products. The research, access, and implementation of hi-tech agricultural products are not really active, and high-tech models are few. Not actively grasping market demand, the export of main agricultural products (dragon fruit, rubber) is unstable, and the competitiveness of agricultural products is still low. Investment in infrastructure serving agricultural and rural development faces difficulties, especially in concentrated production areas and fisheries infrastructure.

In particular, the building of a model of the production linkage chain associated with product consumption through enterprises and cooperatives is still limited. The reason for the above-mentioned limitations is that Binh Thuan has not yet attracted many large investors and enterprises with sufficient capacity and potential to invest in agricultural and rural development.

Calling on enterprises to invest in agriculture

Faced with the above situation, according to Mr. Mai Kieu, it is extremely necessary and important to attract qualified corporations and enterprises to invest in Binh Thuan agriculture. Especially large enterprises with large-scale investment potential in the fields of production and processing of strong agricultural and aquatic products in this area. Since then, businesses have played a leading role in providing technical guidance, supplying input agricultural materials, and committing to consuming output products for farmers. As well as creating products of high quality, diversification, multi-value, food safety and hygiene, and traceability to meet export and domestic consumption standards. Promoting the development of agriculture with modernity, sustainability, and high added value for the locality.

"Through the Vietnam Agriculture News, the Binh Thuan agricultural sector calls on businesses with financial capacity and potential to invest in building a linkage chain linking production with consumption of agricultural products in the area, in which the important products that need to be encouraged and prioritized include dragon fruit, rice, cashew, vegetables of all kinds, cow farming, and seafood processing. In addition, the key products of Binh Thuan province include dragon fruit and products processed from dragon fruit, beef cattle, shrimp seed, and products processed from seafood, enterprises will enjoy incentive policies when investing in them," said Director Mai Kieu.

Over the past few years, Binh Thuan province has attracted many businesses to invest in the agricultural sector, including large enterprises such as C.P. Vietnam Livestock Corporation, Greenfeed Vietnam Corporation, Japfa Comfeed Vietnam Co., Ltd., Viet TAFA Livestock Co., Ltd., Viet Uc Seafood JSC, etc.

Besides, Binh Thuan is continuing to call for investment in the province’s high-tech agricultural area (approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 2059 dated August 10, 2018), as well as encouraging and calling on enterprises to invest in hi-tech shrimp seed production in the Chi Cong Concentrated Aquatic Seed Production Area (phase 1) with a scale of 90ha.

In parallel with that, in order to promote the development of the Binh Thuan agricultural sector, the whole province is focusing on well-implemented Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU, dated September 1, 2021, of the Provincial Party Committee on the development of the agricultural sector with modernity, sustainability, and high value, and Decision No. 80/QD-UBND, dated January 7, 2022, of the Provincial People's Committee promulgating the Implementation Plan of Resolution No. 05 of the Provincial Party Committee.

The agricultural sector has also been coordinating with relevant departments and localities to advise and develop policies to create favorable conditions for attracting investment and selecting strong corporations and strategic investors to participate in key field investments.

Along with that, provide support, be ready for direct dialogue, and timely solve and remove difficulties and problems. Create all favorable conditions for investors to soon deploy investment projects to enhance competitiveness in the province's investment environment. Especially the policy of creating a land fund for enterprises to invest in agriculture and rural areas, supporting site clearance costs, and supporting land rents to create conditions for enterprises to access land and have enough land for production practices.

Proposing to mobilize resources to invest in agricultural and rural infrastructure to meet the requirements of agricultural production with large-scale commodities. As well as giving priority to completing irrigation infrastructure, rural transport, aquaculture infrastructure, fisheries logistics, dykes, and anti-erosion embankment systems to improve adaptation to natural disasters and climate change, etc.

Mr. Mai Kieu said that, “In order to attract businesses to invest in agriculture in the coming time, we will coordinate to implement well-planned investment promotion, attracting businesses to invest in agriculture and rural areas. Promote forms of investment with the participation of the state and the private sector. Support and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector; support access to scientific, technical, and market information; as well as support research and the application and transfer of technical advances. Focus on market forecasting and trade promotion to orient production in line with market demand; build a market information system for agricultural products; and organize effective exploitation and use.”