A machine used for cashew nut processing of the Hung Phat Ninh Thuan Export - Import JSC in Khanh Hai township of Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province. The company equipped itself with the machine thanks to financial support from the national industrial extension programme. (Photo: VNA)
Ninh Thuan (VNA) – Many farming households and cooperatives in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan have been applying scientific and technological advances to promote productivity, produce quality, and agritourism, thus boosting farm produce sale and economic value from agriculture.
A number of farmers are growing new grape varieties such as NH04-102 and NH01-152 in polyethylene greenhouses. The model, with cultivation techniques transferred by the Nha Ho Research Institute for Cotton and Agriculture Development of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, can reduce impacts of unfavourable weather conditions and improve grape quality.
Nguyen Dinh Tri, a resident in Nhon Son commune of Ninh Son district, said his family has cultivated 2,000 sq.m. of the seedless NH04-102 and harvested over 1.2 tonnes of grape per 1,000 sq.m. The fruit is priced at 220,000 VND (9.3 USD) per kg, generating profit two - four times higher than that of traditional varieties.
He plans to cultivate 8,000 sq.m. of such new varieties as NH04-102, NH01-152 and “Mau don” in combination with opening tours of his orchard to improve livelihoods.
To improve productivity and climate change response, Nguyen Minh Phi in Phuoc Dan township of Ninh Phuoc district decided to invest 500 million VND in developing hydroponics inside polyethylene greenhouses, which can minimise harmful substances, external environmental impacts and diseases on vegetables while ensuring food safety.
His 500 sq.m. hydroponic garden is farming a wide range of vegetables. To ensure daily supply, Phi grows overlapping crops, which enables him to harvest 30 - 40kg of vegetables sold at 30,000 - 45,000 VND per kg each day. After deducting expenses, he earns about 10 million VND in profit each month.
The Syrah grap variety used for wine production in Ninh Thuan province (Photo: VNA)
The Ninh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the province has been investing efforts in building, transferring, and multiplying many agricultural models applying science and technology. So far, 31 hi-tech farming projects have become operational, including 18 on crop cultivation, three on animal husbandry, eight on aquaculture, and two on farm produce processing. Authorities have also facilitated the practices meeting VietGAP and organic standards on a total area of over 4,900ha.
To adapt to the dry and hot climate, localities have also encouraged farmers to use water-saving irrigation systems, build net houses and polyethylene greenhouses, and form large fields to facilitate concentrated farming and sci-tech application.
Dang Kim Cuong, Director of the department, said that to sustainably develop agriculture and improve produce value, Ninh Thuan is working to develop hi-tech agricultural zones and those applying VietGAP, GlobalGAP and organic standards.
For 2021 - 2025, the province targets an annual growth rate of 3 - 4% in agricultural value, with the production value of hi-tech farming up 30 - 40% per year. It hopes to have three - five hi-tech farming zones covering 1,000ha and generating 700 million VND per ha in production value by 2025.
To that end, Ninh Thuan is stepping up all-round measures such as devising favourable mechanisms and policies to attract investment in hi-tech, clean and large-scale agriculture; bolstering the enforcement of the 2012 Law on Cooperatives; and encouraging the connectivity of farmers, state agencies, businesses and scientists, according to the official./.
