With favorable conditions, Hau Giang is consistent to the development of sustainable agriculture

Hau Giang province, established in 2004, is located in the heart of the Mekong Delta, with a total area of 1,622km2 and a population of 730,000 people. Vi Thanh is the provincial capital of Hau Giang, located 240 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City and 40 kilometers from Can Tho City.

Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Provincial Secretary of Hau Giang, said that the province's economy has grown significantly in recent years. In 2033, the GRDP growth rate reached 13.94%, placing it fourth nationally and first in the Mekong Delta.

In 2023, the number reached 12.27%, placing it second in the country; budget collection reached over VND 7,000 billion; and average income reached VND 80.33 million per person per year (equivalent to USD 3,300).

Mr. Thanh emphasized the words "favorable conditions for agricultural development" while describing the natural conditions of Hau Giang province. The reason was the abundance of fresh water with crisscrossed rivers and canals stretching over 2,300 kilometers. The most important of them is the Xa No Canal route, which connects the Hau River and the West Sea and acts as the first rice transportation voyage in the South of Vietnam.

Rice is one of Hau Giang's most important and well-known crops. The present rice growing area is 79.000 hectares, accounting for 56.2% of agricultural land area; with 2-3 planting crops each year, output is roughly 1.2 million tons of rice, accounting for more than 54% of agricultural-forestry-fishery production value.The rice industry in Hau Giang province, as well as the rice industry throughout Vietnam, have grown dramatically in recent years.

The province is transitioning from primitive production, which relies mostly on human labor and produces poor productivity, to using technology and methods, such as automation and creative technology, which produces a wide range of productivity and quality. Rice has been grown," claimed Provincial Party Secretary Nghiem Xuan Thanh.

Because of these accomplishments, Hau Giang province and the Mekong Delta area have helped Vietnam overcome numerous tough times of food scarcity and become a nation capable of assuring its food security and rising to become the world's top rice exporter.

According to Provincial Secretary Nghiem Xuan Thanh, the aforesaid accomplishments are the result of several practical programs and the growth of cooperative partnerships. These regulations have encouraged rice research and breeding, technological innovation, and technical advancements.

Furthermore, the active engagement of stakeholders in the development of the rice value chain, as well as the assistance of friends and international organizations, has helped to Hau Giang province improving the technical and commercial elements of the rice sector.

Among the successful rice industry development initiatives in Hau Giang province, the Provincial Party Secretary of Thanh highlighted the Sustainable Agricultural Transformation Project (VnSAT) and the Project of Change Centers Green Innovation Innovation (GIC).

He saw this as a rich, practical foundation for the parties to exchange their experiences in encouraging sustainable rice growth, linking value chains, growing commerce, and ensuring global food security.

The foreign Rice Industry Festival was held in Hau Giang province from December 11 to 15, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and foreign organizations such as IRRI. The Workshop "Vietnam - Africa Policy Dialogue: South-South Cooperation, Support for Food System Transformation" is one of a series of events aimed at promoting conversation on scale, methods, and effectiveness as a result of technical cooperation between Vietnam and several African nations.

The conference, according to the head of the Hau Giang Provincial Party Committee, is an opportunity to share experiences and mechanisms to promote South-South cooperation, such as developing science and technology suitable for African conditions, developing rice trade, connecting agricultural food value chains, and global food security.

"The South-South Cooperation Conference will be a significant step forward in scientific, technical, and institutional coordination between Vietnam and international organizations."

"The workshop also contributes to the transformation of the food system and demonstrates Vietnam's commitment, including Hau Giang province, to working together to develop sustainable agriculture for global food security," Mr. Thanh stressed.

The International Festival of Vietnam Rice Industry - Hau Giang 2023 is one of the events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the founding of Hau Giang province (January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2024).

On this occasion, the Secretary of the Hau Giang Provincial Party Committee thanked central ministry authorities, foreign visitors, scientists, experts, enterprises, organizations, and people who had traveled to the province.