High-tech agriculture in Ninh Thuan: Several models garner over 1.2 billion VND/ha

High-tech agriculture reaches 939 million VND/ha

The People's Committee of Ninh Thuan Province issued a plan at the start of 2022 that uses supportive policies and advanced technology to foster agricultural development and attract investment in the province between 2021 and 2030.

Environmental difficulties, such as the constant threat of extreme weather to crops and a production technical infrastructure that fell short of high-tech agriculture standards, hampered the implementation of high-tech agriculture in Ninh Thuan. Furthermore, investment resources were scarce, and efforts to secure private sector investment in high-tech agriculture through implementing policies and mechanisms were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the agricultural environment in Ninh Thuan has undergone a substantial transformation in the past two years.

A comprehensive advancement has been observed in the scale, productivity, and quality of agricultural production in Ninh Thuan after two years of focusing on implementing advanced technology. The structure of the agricultural sector has undergone a positive transformation. There has been a significant increase in both the value of production and the proportion of agriculture that utilizes science and advanced technology.

Certain specialty products from Ninh Thuan have progressively solidified their positions as brands, competitive advantages, and market leaders. Preliminary measures have been implemented to develop expansive fields, specialized zones catering to processing industries, and high-tech agricultural production areas.

At present, the valuation of high-tech agriculture in Ninh Thuan is approximated to be 938 million VND/ha. Notably, the annual value of high-tech net melons and grapes surpasses 1.2 billion Vietnamese dong per hectare. As of now, three production areas that satisfy the requirements for high-tech agriculture have been recognised by the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan Province. The total area dedicated to high-tech agriculture production presently covers 565 hectares, of which four enterprises have been designated as high-tech enterprises.

Ninh Thuan has placed significant emphasis on the reorganization of commodities and the interconnections in product consumption in recent years, according to Mr. Cuong. Numerous models of commodity production linkage between scientific institutions, cooperatives, businesses, and producers have been developed and are beginning to demonstrate their efficacy.

Breakthrough attempts

Mr. Dang Kim Cuong reports that the value of high-tech agricultural production in Ninh Thuan increased by an average of 32.31% per year after two years of implementation, contributing 13.16% to the province's agricultural production value in 2023.

One notable accomplishment in the field of high-tech agriculture is the transformation of Ninh Thuan into a national hub for the production of premium shrimp seedlings. At present, 27 enterprises in Ninh Thuan are engaged in the production of high-tech shrimp seeds. Among these facilities, one hundred percent are certified to meet the necessary standards for shrimp seed production, nurturing, and disease control. Furthermore, all facilities are subject to disease safety supervision, with twelve facilities having obtained certification for such safety.

The majority of Ninh Thuan Aquatic Seed Association members attach the 'Ninh Thuan Shrimp Seed' certification label to their products to verify the legitimacy of Ninh Thuan shrimp seeds on the market, locate their origin, and promote the brand. Mr. Dang Kim Cuong stated that shrimp seed production in Ninh Thuan reached 41 billion postlarvae in 2023, actively satisfying a portion of the market demand for parent shrimp used in seed production.

Mr. Vo Quang Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ninh Thuan Province, asserts that the advancement of science and technology in crop innovation is the focal point of high-tech agriculture in Ninh Thuan. In addition to advising on the construction and implementation of issued policies, functional divisions in Ninh Thuan have begun attaching policies that encourage the use of advanced technologies in agricultural production.

At the same time, initiatives, projects, and programs in Ninh Thuan facilitate the transfer and implementation of methods, models, and novel crop varieties. Ninh Thuan is also working on a different issue: encouraging better production quality and productivity through origin traceability programs, advanced management systems from production to consumption, and the use of advanced quality management standards by national GAP standards to reach GlobalGAP standards.

Trinh Minh Hoang, vice chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan Province, asserts that the province's objective is to designate three to five regions as high-tech agricultural application areas by the year 2025. Over one thousand hectares, high-tech agricultural production will encompass the entirety of the province. Two to three enterprises that are acknowledged as high-tech agricultural enterprises will be established. Achieving a minimum of two enterprises from outside the province to engage in high-tech agricultural production, or enticing large-scale agricultural enterprises to function as hubs, in addition to establishing at least thirty high-tech agricultural projects that are operating efficiently.