Maintaining agricultural growth momentum

The agricultural sector implemented its work plan for the first 6 months of 2024 in conditions with mixed advantages and challenges, including the impact of market fluctuations, severe hot weather, and the emergence of epidemics. However, with the joint efforts of the entire sector, the growth of the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector reached 4.3% (0.17% higher than the growth scenario target).

Harvesting winter-spring rice in the fields of Nguyen Hue commune (Dong Trieu town).

With good preparation of conditions for cultivation and regular investigation of the situation of harmful organisms, by the end of June, the total area of annual crops reached over 33,000 hectares (54% of the plan), the total output of grain crops reached nearly 105,000 tons (100% of the plan), the total area of perennial crops reached nearly 8,000 hectares. The whole province has implemented about 7,700 hectares of winter crops, the consumption of winter crop products in the first months of the year is very stable, most of the winter crop area has been expanded to link production and product consumption with businesses, there is no congestion or surplus.

Ms. Luu Thi Duong, Deputy Head of the Economic Department (Dong Trieu Town) shared: The town has nearly 1,500 hectares of winter crops with many diverse varieties. Thanks to cooperation with foreign enterprises to purchase and export, on average, for 1 hectare of winter crops, Dong Trieu farmers earn over 120 million VND/ha.

High-tech grape growing area in An Sinh commune (Dong Trieu town).

Regarding the livestock industry, facing the risk of African swine fever spreading widely, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked with localities to synchronously and drastically implement and strengthen disease prevention and control solutions to prevent the disease from spreading widely. Communes and wards have proactively counted the number of livestock households and the total number of pig herds; local veterinary officers have stepped up propaganda and instructed families on safe livestock farming measures and signed a commitment to implement the "5K regulation" (no hiding the epidemic; no buying, selling, transporting sick pigs, dead pigs; no slaughtering, consuming sick pigs, products of sick pigs, dead pigs; no dumping of sick pigs, dead pigs into the environment; no use of untreated leftover food). The process of transporting and consuming pigs at concentrated slaughterhouses and markets is also strictly controlled.

For other livestock, the Department also coordinates with localities to monitor and promptly handle outbreaks of animal diseases; increase vaccination coverage for livestock and poultry, especially rabies in dogs. Currently, the whole province has vaccinated 94% of the total dog population.

Staff of the Agricultural Technical Service Center of Uong Bi City check the origin of pigs at centralized slaughterhouses.

In the first 6 months of this year, the total buffalo herd in the province reached 24,000 (101% compared to the same period in 2023); the pig herd reached nearly 274,000 (101% compared to the same period in 2023); the poultry herd reached over 5.4 million (104% compared to the same period in 2023). The total output of fresh meat of all kinds reached about 48,000 tons (equal to 103% compared to the same period in 2023). Due to the increasing trend in livestock product prices, it has contributed to reducing difficulties and helping farmers make a profit.

The remaining two sectors, forestry and fishery, are also considered to have impressive growth rates, with forestry growing in terms of concentrated forest planting area, plantation timber exploitation output, and maintaining a forest cover rate of 55%.

Ceremony of granting marine aquaculture licenses to 6 enterprises and cooperatives at the Conference "Sustainable marine aquaculture development, seen from Quang Ninh ". *Photo: Thu Chung*

In fisheries development, thanks to relatively favorable conditions, the offshore fleet has increased its adherence to the sea, increasing offshore fishing activities. The total output of aquatic products reached 38,820 tons (103% compared to the same period in 2023). The inland aquaculture area reached 32,000 hectares, the marine aquaculture area reached 10,200 hectares (100% compared to the same period in 2023). The total number of aquaculture facilities reached 11,228 (an increase of 7.4% compared to the same period in 2023). The total aquaculture output reached nearly 50,000 tons (106% compared to the same period in 2023). In the first 6 months of the year, the work of fisheries planning has had many positive movements. The whole province is currently promoting the implementation of the Provincial Planning and completing procedures to grant licenses and hand over sea surface to organizations and individuals. In the immediate future, the province has granted licenses for aquaculture at sea to 6 enterprises and cooperatives. These are favorable conditions for the province to develop aquaculture production, realizing the goal of becoming the aquaculture center of the North.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Son, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: The industry continues to review and convert the structure of crops and products in accordance with advantages and market demand, in which priority is given to converting the structure of crops on inefficient rice fields to crops with high economic value. In livestock farming, re-planning and supporting farms and livestock enterprises to develop local products, especially those contributing to large growth (cows and pigs). To ensure that forestry and fishery continue to maintain good growth momentum, in the last months of the year, the industry will increase the exploitation of concentrated production forest areas with mature technology to achieve high output and focus on monitoring forest developments; resolve existing problems in illegal fishing and complete the assignment of sea areas according to the plan.

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