Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called on the Mekong Deltaprovinces’ agricultural sector to promote large-scale production, changetheir growth model and strengthen production links.
The Government leader made the appeal on July 11 at a working sessionwith key officials of the delta’s three biggest granaries, An Giang,Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces which aimed at discussing solutionsto remove difficulties and boost production and sales towardssustainable development.
He underlined the MekongDelta’s biggest advantages of food production, fruit farming andaquaculture, while pointing out numerous difficulties and shortagesfaced by the sector, such as slowing production and drops in yield andfarmers’ income.
PM Dung urged the region and threeprovinces in particular to shift the agricultural economy towardslarge-scale production.
The provinces should firstlyfocus on building and expanding large-scale paddy fields, developingconcentrated material areas in association with trademark building, hesaid, adding that there should be a close connection between production,process and selling.
Special importance should beattached to trade promotion and market expanding, as well as encouragingenterprises to invest in agriculture and rural development, he noted.
The PM also requested regional localities tosuccessfully purchase food for the State stockpile, restructure loansfor farmers and enterprises, offer production training for farmers, andadopt technologies to improve productivity and quality.
Speaking at the event, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister CaoDuc Phat said localities should review rice production planning anddiversify crops suitable to the land, cultivation conditions and themarket.
In addition, crops should be secured from natural disasters such as salt intrusion, floods and droughts.
Regarding tra fish and shrimp farming, Minister Phat stressedsolutions to lift trade and technical barriers, strengthen tradepromotion, enhance traditional and large markets, and explore newmarkets.
Aquatic infrastructure should also beprioritised while controlling pesticide use in aquatic farming areas andsetting up a pandemic warning system, he urged.
Expressing their interest in the large-scale field model, seniorofficials from An Giang, Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces and severalenterprises recommended the Government soon promulgates policiessupporting production-consumption connectivity, and strengthen tradepromotion of staple agricultural products.
They alsoasked relevant agencies to pay more attention to market forecasting,supporting businesses’ investment in agriculture and developingproduction areas attached to buildingmanufacturing-processing-consumption establishments.-VNA