Tien Giang (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has taken solid steps to green up its agricultural sector towards the goal of protecting the environment and enhancing the quality, economic value and competitiveness of local farm produce.
Identifying the development of green agricultural production as an inevitable trend in sustainable agriculture, in recent years, the local agricultural sector has intensified efforts to encourage businesses, cooperatives, and farmers to engage in sustainable agricultural practices, minimizing environmental pollution and ensuring safety for both producers and consumers. Support policies and projects to promote agricultural production towards VietGAP standards have been implemented in 181 farming facilities covering 2,456 hectares.
According to Tran Hoang Nhat Nam, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the application of good agricultural practices has had a strong impact on people's awareness and responsibility in production, limiting the use of fertilisers and pesticides in the cultivation process as well as the use of banned substances in livestock farming and aquaculture, thus contributing significantly to reducing the rate of residues of pesticides, chemicals, and banned antibiotics on agricultural products.
Responding to the province’s policy, local agricultural cooperatives have constantly made efforts to change towards green production.
Tran Thanh Phong, Director of My Phong Cooperative in My Tho city, said that her facility has 66 hectares of green-skinned pomelo, including 30 VietGAP certified hectares that produce 35 tonnes per hectare for export to the Republic of Korea.
Tran Van Buong, Director of Tan Dong Safe Vegetable Cooperative, said that thanks to applying green farming process, the firm has provided 1.5-2 tonnes of vegetables to the domestic market each day, and more than 4 tonnes to Japan and the RoK each week.
Despite its achievements in the field, Tien Giang has still worked hard to further green up its agricultural sector, paving the way for sustainable development and enhancing competitiveness in the international market.
Nam said that his department has implemented many projects to shape the development of green, organic, and circular agriculture, high-tech agriculture, safe production towards GAP standards, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions following the one-million-hectare low emission rice project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, while popularising VietGAP standards and good farming practices in aquaculture, and tracing the origin of aquaculture products.
Tien Giang currently has more than 394 hectares of aquaculture area certified with VietGAP and ASC standards.
The province has also encouraged local enterprises to produce and process products that adapt to the green criteria of the market.
Vo Van Lap, Director of the Tien Giang Rural Development Sub-Department, said that the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is a foundation for the local agricultural sector to develop green production.
The programme has supported the development of the rural economy, focusing on developing regional specialty products associated with promoting advantages in production conditions, raw material areas and traditional culture, helping to increase product value and enhance product reputation, brand and competitiveness in the market, he said.
To date, Tien Giang has had 299 OCOP products, including 97 4-star and 202 3-star products by 26 cooperatives, 48 enterprises and 72 business households.
Lap said that in the coming time, Tien Giang will continue follow the green production direction, aiming to achieve modern, clean, and sustainable organic agriculture, improving quality, added value and competitiveness of local agricultural products./.
