Lao Cai asked to make agricultural innovations

The northern province of Lao Cai currently can maintain agricultural security, promote the development of agricultural commodities, change the mindset on agricultural production to agricultural economic development.

The province focuses on developing six key commodity industries and five breakthroughs to implement Resolution No. 10 of the Standing Provincial Party Committee on the strategy for the development of commodity agriculture in Lao Cai province to 2030, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, six key commodities are promoted including tea, medicinal herbs, bananas, pineapples, cinnamon, and pig farming.

Five breakthrough contents are the conversion of plant and animal varieties; converting inefficient cropland to valuable crops; promote various types of production organisations and services associated with processing and production linkages; implement land allocation, forest allocation for forestry economic development; innovate management methods for the development of agricultural production in the new situation.

Lao Cai's agriculture is developing in the direction of multi-value, linking agricultural production development with tourism. The agricultural production value in 2021 was estimated at over VND8.6 trillion with the growth rate reaching 5.7 per cent, product value over an unit of cultivation was estimated at VND85 million, an increase of 6.1 per cent compared to 2020.

Lao Cai also exploited and promoted the potential and strengths of each locality to develop agroforestry production and safe production.

Secretary of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee Dang Xuan Phong said that the agricultural sector of Lao Cai clearly played a role as the backbone of the provincial economy, but that was not enough.

Lao Cai proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development continue to pay attention to and support Lao Cai province with a number of contents related to institutions and general policies in agricultural and rural development; support development and production of varieties (medicinal materials, plant varieties, indigenous livestock); processing, trade promotion, investment, and building a logistics centre in the province.

It also called for support to the construction of models of community-based tourism development associated with building new rural areas, building model villages and hamlets in border areas.

Additionally, it proposed the ministry summarise and submit to the Government to balance and allocate funds for Lao Cai province to implement forest protection and development, pilot the sale of carbon credits, and create resources to keep forests; provide financial support to implement agricultural development models, invest in the construction of rural infrastructure works, especially the Red River embankment.

Minister Le Minh Hoan recommended that Lao Cai need to develop a local branding - the image of Lao Cai. Lao Cai has many difficulties, but in return, it also has its own development potential.

The province must have a different approach, instead of following the old one.

“When resources are limited, creativity is a key for development, for examples, developing OCOP products, product diversification, changing market approach, shifting agricultural production from an production industry to agricultural economy, increasing added value at all stages,” he said.

Lao Cai needs to reorganise production, develop economic cooperation, harmoniously share benefits; and call for investment in rural economic areas.

The province was also suggested to standardise production to meet market requirements.

Training is also needed to update knowledge on technique and market developments. Agricultural start-up clubs should be opened. The agricultural and rural development strategy must help reduce costs, increase quality, and optimize prices.

The province needs to focus on rural economy such as cooperatives, small and medium enterprises, even micro ones, forming rural economic ecosystem. In addition, Lao Cai also needs to transform the new rural model into a new rural model associated with rural economic development, with the focus on cooperative economy and OCOP products.