Vinh Long: Concern about food safety issues

On November 14, the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had a working session with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Long province on crop production for the winter-spring crop of 2023-2024 and plans for the summer-autumn crop of 2024.

According to Mr. Nguyen Vinh Phuc, Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Vinh Long province: Compared to the same period last year, up to now the area of perennial crops in the whole province has reached over 70,147 hectares, an increase of 2.6%, (rank at 2nd in the Mekong Delta after Tien Giang province). Of which, the estimated fruit-bearing area is nearly 56,584 hectares, with an output of over 1,488 thousand tons (an increase of 1.7%). Large-area crops include oranges, coconuts, grapefruits, longans, and durians.

The increase in the area of perennial crops is due to the shift from rice land to rice, in which the movement of growing oranges on rice fields is developing quite strongly, followed by durian, coconut, jackfruit, and guava trees, which are growing at a good speed. In 2023, the conversion of crop structure from rice land to perennial crops will reach 2,123 hectares, including 980 hectares of orange, 46 hectares of grapefruit, 240 hectares of coconut, 116 hectares of durian, 580 hectares of jackfruit, and 199 hectares of other trees.

In general, perennial crop-growing activities in the whole province show a high development trend in product quality to meet consumer needs. The conversion of crop structure on rice land is very suitable to actual needs.

Through the unit's report, Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production - Chief of the Office of Agriculture and Rural Coordination in the Mekong Delta, assessed: Looking back at the province's key crop varieties for export, they are not many, such as longan, durian, jackfruit, rambutan. Of particular concern is the orange orange, with an area of nearly 18,000 hectares. This is the province's main crop but cannot yet be exported. The trend toward consumption will still be problematic if localities do not have specific orientations and plans.

"No matter how good a variety is, if the food safety issue does not overcome the technical barriers of importing countries, it cannot enter the market. Countries are raising technical barriers every day," Le Thanh Tung said.

Based on the general development project for the country's fruit industries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Le Thanh Tung commented: For available crops, the province can increase value by changing farming methods. Many people's gardens are intercropped, not specialized or old, with old varieties with poor productivity and quality, so they are renovated by new planting or improved grafting.

Regarding vegetables, Mr. Tung commented that the locality already has branded crops and has programs to improve quality to meet food safety requirements. In the current world market context, countries have set up many technical barriers, tariffs and other factors that require producers to put food safety first.

Mr. Le Thanh Tung said orienting production for the market in a context like this is challenging. However, to improve the competitiveness of garden products, it is necessary to grasp and find solutions to reduce costs. This is entirely possible.

"When reducing prices, even if the market fluctuates badly, prices stay low or encounter any problems, it will help reduce damage to people," Mr. Le Thanh Tung commented.

Orientation for key tree development and potential of Vinh Long province

On July 10, 2023, the People's Committee of Vinh Long province issued Decision No. 1607 on promulgating a plan for key and potential crop production until 2030 in Vinh Long province. The goal that by 2025, the planting area of the province's key and potential crops will be 178,900 hectares, with an output of 2,674,690 tons/year.

Of which, the main crop planting area is 135,500 hectares (rice, sweet potatoes, citrus: five whip grapefruit, green-skinned grapefruit, orange), with an output of 2,112,700 tons/year. Potential tree group area is 43,400 hectares (mango, longan, rambutan, durian, jackfruit, coconut and other fruit trees) with an output of 659,490 tons/year.

In concentrated fruit production areas, the proportion of product value produced in cooperation and association reaches 30%. The proportion of new planting and replanting areas using high-quality seeds is 70-80%. The percentage of fruit tree area applying good agricultural production practices or equivalent is 25%. The area applied with advanced irrigation systems reaches 20-30%.