Yen Bai focuses on developing green agriculture

Yen Bai - Faced with the reality of climate change, environmental pollution and degradation of land and water resources that are strongly affecting agriculture, in recent years, farmers in the province have proactively renewed their thinking, boldly applied scientific and technical advances, built environmentally friendly agricultural production models, contributing to increasing the value of local agricultural products and building sustainable agricultural development.

Farmers in Son Thinh town, Van Chan district harvest clean agricultural products such as baby cucumbers.

>> Yen Bai develops green agricultural models

>> Green agriculture creates green products

>> Yen Bai has nearly 50 green agricultural models

>> Focus on developing green industry

Previously, most agricultural production in the province was mainly small-scale, fragmented, based on traditional experience and also abused chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This not only increased production costs but also posed the risk of soil and water pollution, affecting human health. Realizing this, localities and functional sectors have actively promoted and mobilized people to participate in agricultural restructuring programs, converting to clean, circular, and organic production models. Mr. Vu Ngoc Te's family in Minh Quan commune, Tran Yen district is one of the pioneers in converting traditional tea cultivation to tea cultivation according to VietGAP standards.

Mr. Vu Ngoc Te said: "My family has applied the process of fertilizing with organic microorganisms, using biological products to prevent pests and absolutely not using herbicides. Thanks to that, tea productivity has increased by 20%, the selling price is 30% higher than before. In particular, the family's clean tea products have become known to many people and are exported to many domestic markets."

Currently, the movement to develop green and sustainable agriculture is spreading strongly in the province with many good models and creative ways of farmers. Typically, in Van Yen district, the organic cinnamon growing model has brought about clear results. The district has over 55,000 hectares of cinnamon planted in all communes and towns; of which, the area of ​​certified organic cinnamon is over 15,000 hectares. On average, each year, the district exports to the market about 6,000 tons of dried cinnamon bark of all kinds, collects over 65,000 tons of cinnamon branches and leaves and over 50,000 m3 of cinnamon wood, distills 300 tons of cinnamon essential oil; total revenue from cinnamon products reaches over 800 billion VND per year.

Yen Binh district has over 20,000 hectares of Thac Ba lake surface. Taking advantage of the large lake surface and continuous flow, Hoang Kim Aquatic Products Cooperative, Han Da commune has invested in about 300 fish cages with catfish, red tilapia, etc. By raising fish in cages, the cooperative has saved a lot of farming costs, taken advantage of food sources, and clean water sources, so the fish are less susceptible to disease.

To protect consumers' health, the cooperative applies VietGAP farming process, strictly controls food sources, and uses biological disease prevention methods to ensure fish quality and stable output.

The province has currently established 466 agricultural cooperatives (accounting for 56% of the total cooperatives in the province); many of which are aiming to produce according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards like Hoang Kim Aquatic Products Cooperative. Establishing cooperatives and linking production not only helps farmers share experiences and reduce input costs, but also improves market access and product branding.

Mr. Bui Song Hy - Director of An Thinh Safe Vegetable Production and Service Cooperative, Son Thinh town, Van Chan district said: "The cooperative has more than 20 members, producing over 5 hectares of safe vegetables. In addition to the commitment to safe production, the members also signed contracts to supply products to many purchasing units inside and outside the province. Thanks to that, the output is stable, the product value is high, the average income of members reaches over 100 million VND/year".

In order for the green agriculture movement to develop strongly, in recent times, farmers' associations at all levels and functional sectors in the province have actively organized training courses, transferred science and technology, and supported preferential loans for farmers to build sustainable production models. In addition, programs such as "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) and new rural construction also create conditions for farmers to develop clean and safe agricultural products. The province currently has 282 OCOP products; of which, there are 29 4-star OCOP products and 253 3-star OCOP products.

Many products have affirmed their position in the market and are present in stores, supermarket systems, and large commercial centers nationwide such as: Suoi Giang Shan Tuyet tea, Muong Lo Seng Cu rice, Tran Yen Bat Tien tea, Gioi Phien vermicelli... Thereby, not only contributing to creating motivation for farmers in the province to have more confidence in implementing green, effective, and sustainable agricultural development, but also contributing significantly to economic restructuring and new rural construction.

From the results achieved, it can be seen that farmers in the province are gradually changing their production mindset, not chasing quantity but focusing on quality, safety and sustainability. Green agricultural models are increasingly developing, contributing to environmental protection, increasing farmers' income and building Yen Bai agricultural product brands in the market. With the initiative and creativity of farmers, the support of the government and organizations, we believe that in the future, the province's agriculture will develop more and more sustainably.

Hong Oanh

Source: http://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/347719/Yen-Bai-quan-tam-phat-trien-nong-nghiep-xanh.aspx