The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is reducing the area of land under coffee cultivation from 203,561ha to 170,000ha and the acreage of cashew cultivation to 21,000ha by 2020 under its agriculture restructuring plan, the province’s officials reported on October 1.

At a working session with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Van Khiet said at the same time, the land used for rubber cultivation is to be expanded from 39,985ha to 66,800ha, while land allocated for cocoa and pepper production will total 8,000ha and 11,082ha, respectively.

The province will maintain the cultivation areas for wet rice and maize at the current levels, with a target output of at least 1 million tonnes, Khiet said. Additionally, dairy farming and aquaculture are to be developed.
The restructuring efforts aim to increase productivity and meet market demands, thus promoting local competitiveness and sustainable development, he added.

Dak Lak aims to double the average income for rural households by the end of 2015 compared to 2010 in an effort to reduce the province’s poverty rate to 10 percent in 2015 and to 5 percent in 2020.
With regard to building the new-style rural area, five communes have met 17 out of the 19 criteria, one commune meets 15, and two others meet 14 requirements.

Khiet said the province aims for three communes to fulfill all the criteria by the end of this year. The number is projected to increase to 31 communes, or 20 percent of the total, by 2015.

Minister Phat spoke highly of the progress Dak Lak made so far to restructure agriculture and build new-style rural areas. He accepted the province’s proposals, including an increase in funding for the implementation of agricultural restructuring and new-style rural areas.

Covering more than 13,000km2 of land, Dak Lak is home to approximately 1.8 million people, with more than 1.3 million people living in rural areas and 30 percent of the population being ethnic minorities.-VNA