Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai speaks at the ceremony - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong
On the evening of December 10, at Phan Ngoc Hien Square (Ca Mau City), the People's Committee of Ca Mau province coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the opening ceremony of the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival and the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum 2023 with the theme: "Ca Mau Shrimp Festival - Proud of Vietnamese brands".
Speaking at the event, Party Central Committee Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai emphasized that 2023 is the third year of implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. We carry out the task of socio-economic development in a context of intertwined opportunities, advantages, difficulties and challenges, but the difficulties and challenges are more numerous and more complex.
In that context, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee and the support of the National Assembly, the Government has taken many measures to both fight the pandemic and restore and develop the socio-economy. Thanks to that, the macro-economy continues to maintain stability, major balances are ensured; inflation is controlled, our country's GDP growth reaches about 5%, although lower than the set target (about 6.5%), but still quite high compared to many countries in the world and the region.
Of which, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector increased by over 3.4%, continuing to be the pillar of the economy in difficult times.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW of the 13th Central Executive Committee on "agriculture, farmers, rural areas to 2030, vision to 2045" has determined: Agriculture, farmers, rural areas have a strategic role and position in the cause of innovation, construction and protection of the Fatherland; are the basis and important force for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change; maintaining political stability, ensuring national defense and security; preserving and promoting cultural values, and the strength of the Vietnamese people. Developing ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, and civilized farmers is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire people, and the central task of our entire political system.
Delegates attending the event - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong
Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister highly appreciated the initiative of Ca Mau province in coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other ministries, branches and enterprises to organize the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival and the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum 2023 with the theme: "Ca Mau Shrimp Festival - Proud of Vietnamese brands".
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, for the first time, the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival and the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum were held in Ca Mau province. This is a very important event, on a regional scale, taking place from December 10-13, focusing on activities to promote the combined strength of Ca Mau province in particular and the Mekong Delta in general, creating an atmosphere of solidarity, expressing the respect and hospitality of local people towards domestic and international tourists and friends.
In this series of events, Ca Mau province coordinated to organize two conferences of special significance. The Deputy Prime Minister assessed that the Conference "Announcing the Provincial Planning and Promoting Investment in Ca Mau Province" created the premise, orientation for development and investment attraction for the province in the new period of local development.
The conference "Connecting trade of OCOP products in the Mekong Delta region in 2023" is an opportunity to exchange and share solutions and directions to promote promotion activities, connect consumption, and sign business cooperation agreements for OCOP products in the Mekong Delta region with supermarkets, distributors, and domestic and foreign enterprises.
Shrimp industry still faces many difficulties and challenges
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, with the efforts of the entire Party, army and people, in 2023, Ca Mau province's GRDP increased by 7.83% over the same period, higher than the national average.
Our country's agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover reached over 53 billion USD, of which shrimp exports were about 3.6 billion USD. Vietnam has become the second largest shrimp supplier in the world, exporting to about 100 countries. Ca Mau province alone contributed about 1 billion USD in shrimp exports (accounting for 22% of the country and maintained at 1 billion USD in the last 3 years).
Ca Mau shrimp industry has affirmed its position in the world market, exporting to more than 60 countries and territories. In addition to super-intensive farming, there are also sustainable farming models that are rarely found elsewhere, such as shrimp-forest, shrimp-rice that meet ecological and organic standards.
In addition, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program was officially implemented nationwide since 2018, focusing on developing advantageous agricultural, non-agricultural, and service products in each locality according to the value chain, with high competitiveness in domestic and international markets.
To date, the whole country has nearly 9,500 OCOP products with 3 stars or more, with over 1,300 products in the Mekong Delta alone. OCOP products have quickly affirmed their position and been positively received by the market, helping farmers expand their production scale, increase product value, thereby improving their spiritual and material life.
Art performance at the opening ceremony - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong
The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that the results achieved from shrimp and the above OCOP products are thanks to the efforts of Party committees and authorities from the central to local levels; the dynamism, creativity, overcoming difficulties and challenges, daring to think, daring to do, and sharp thinking of farmers.
However, the agricultural sector in general and the aquaculture sector in particular, especially the shrimp sector, still face difficulties and challenges. These include breeds and input materials; raw material areas are not yet concentrated; production scale is still small and fragmented; export products are mainly raw products, not many deeply processed products; the consumption market is unstable and not diverse, depending on a few large markets; product quality requirements are increasingly high with strict international standards; metal emissions pollute the environment; OCOP products are not stable...
Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister said that in order to develop agriculture effectively and increase value, the agricultural sector in general and Ca Mau in particular need to focus on developing the agricultural ecosystem, including the shrimp ecosystem; building a green economy, a circular economy in agriculture, contributing to environmental protection, reducing greenhouse gas emissions; encouraging start-ups, innovation and promoting digital transformation in agriculture, diversifying export markets... This is a suitable strategic orientation to promote the potential, strengths, outstanding opportunities, and distinct competitive advantages of Ca Mau province and the Mekong Delta region.
At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister also hopes that through this event, the image and brand of Ca Mau shrimp and local OCOP products will be strongly promoted to domestic and foreign tourists, contributing to the development of industries; creating conditions for businesses to meet, exchange, introduce products and cooperate.
"With the potential and advantages bestowed by nature, I hope and believe that the Party Committee, government and people of Ca Mau province will unite, join hands, and promote the spirit of self-reliance, turning potential, advantages and challenges into opportunities and motivation for development, successfully implementing the goals of rapid and sustainable development, and bringing Ca Mau to break through," the Deputy Prime Minister expressed.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai cuts the ribbon to inaugurate Ong Doc River Bridge in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong
Previously, on the morning of December 10, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai attended the ceremony and cut the ribbon to inaugurate Ong Doc River Bridge in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district.
This is component project 1 of the Ong Doc River Bridge construction project, the East-West axis road and Ganh Hao bridge, with a total investment of over 690 billion VND.
Deputy Prime Minister visits Mr. Dang Thanh Hoc (Ba Tham), 4/4 war invalid, former Secretary of Minh Hai Provincial Party Committee - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong
On the same afternoon, the Deputy Prime Minister visited Mr. Dang Thanh Hoc (Ba Tham), a 4/4 war invalid and former Secretary of Minh Hai Provincial Party Committee.
Source
Comment (0)