Tien Giang: Crop cutting project helps people in the Eastern region increase income higher than rice cultivation

Over the implementation period, the Project has achieved many important results. Specifically, since the Project was implemented, the entire region has annually cut from 1,379 ha to 17,975 ha (the year with the least crop cut was 2018 and the most was 2019) depending on the annual drought and salinity intrusion. From 2021 to now, the annual fall-winter crop cut area of ​​the Eastern production area has remained quite stable (over 8,500 ha).

Comrade Pham Van Trong spoke at the conference.

Up to now, the Eastern region of the province has formed a two-crop rice production area per year with an area of ​​10,663 hectares (including 9,981 hectares of fallow crop and 682 hectares of crop rotation), reaching 129.3% of the target by 2025 according to Official Dispatch 467/UBND-KT dated January 21, 2025 of the Provincial People's Committee on crop cutting, crop conversion and crop structure in the Eastern districts (approving the policy of flexible crop cutting with an annual crop cutting area of ​​about 8,250 hectares in Go Cong Dong district and Go Cong city).

From 2016 to present, the whole region has converted 7,468 hectares of rice land to other crops, exceeding 29.3% of the target by 2025 (the target by 2025 is 5,775 hectares). Thanks to the positive impact of converting the crop structure from rice land, the rice land area in the Project area is now only 20,888 hectares, a decrease of 10,568 hectares compared to before the Project implementation (rice land in 2015 in the Project area was 31,456 hectares).

 

Delegates working at the conference.

On average, in the period 2016 - 2024, converting to growing fruit trees or vegetables on rice land gives economic efficiency 1.7 - 7.3 times higher than growing rice, the highest being leafy vegetables (7.3 times), green-skinned grapefruit (4.4 times), chili (4 times), jackfruit (3.8 times), red-fleshed dragon fruit (3.5 times), coconut (3.3 times)...

This shows that the policy of converting the crop structure on inefficient rice land is a correct policy suitable for the situation of climate change, bringing higher economic efficiency than growing rice in 3 crops, so it receives the consensus and support of the people.

In general, in terms of economy, the Project helps avoid damage caused by natural disasters such as drought and salinity of 3,000 billion VND and helps increase income from 1.7 to 7.3 times higher than rice cultivation (in some years, the efficiency is up to 10.3 times higher). This shows that the economic efficiency of the policy is very high.

The project has brought a new context to the eastern districts, reducing 10,000 hectares of rice, increasing 4,000 hectares of fruit trees and over 3,700 hectares of adapted vegetables, greatly reducing the pressure of fresh water for production.

Speaking at the conference, comrade Pham Van Trong raised a number of issues for the Project to continue to be effective in the coming time. Specifically, he requested that agencies improve their work on hydrometeorological forecasting and selection of crop varieties. Authorities and localities continue to maintain, upgrade and effectively operate irrigation works in the area. Local authorities must have proactive solutions in maintaining irrigation systems in their areas of management.

For those directly involved in production and business, the authorities continue to promote the effectiveness and practicality of the Project. At the same time, the authorities must acknowledge and overcome the difficulties and problems that people encounter. At the same time, in order for the Project to be maintained sustainably, the authorities must make the people in the area see that the Project brings benefits to them. The authorities and local authorities consider this an important task. The Department of Agriculture and Environment needs to continue to have solutions and build closer relationships with those directly involved in production and labor so that people can better understand the policies on agricultural and rural development and environmental protection.

C.WIN

 

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202504/tien-giang-de-an-cat-vu-giup-nguoi-dan-khu-vuc-phia-dong-tang-thu-nhap-cao-hon-trong-lua-1038681/