Dong Nai agriculture sector achieves high growth rate nationwide

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Dinh Quan District has developed an area specializing in chives for high income.

Photo by P. Anh

The bright spot of the agricultural sector

With efforts to overcome difficulties, agricultural production ensures not only food security in the country but also exports of agricultural products which still grow equally or higher than the same period last year, bringing a large source of foreign currency revenue.

According to the report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first 9 months of the year, the growth rate of the agricultural sector reached 2.74% and contributed over 23.5% to the overall growth of the whole economy; which ensures an abundant supply of food and foodstuffs, serving the needs of domestic consumption and export.

Mr. Le Van Thiet, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, commented that agriculture is one of the few industries still growing despite the general difficulties of the economy due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. In which, many provinces and cities have achieved many targets in the field of agriculture, even exceeding the set targets. In particular, in rice production, the crops were all successful, the output was higher than the same period last year.

At the recent webminar to review crop production in the autumn-winter crop and the 2021 crop, and implement the production plan of the winter-spring crop 2021-2022 of the Southern provinces and cities, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh announced the good news, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products of the whole country in the first 9 months of 2021 is estimated at US$35.5 billion, increased 17.7% over the same period. Imports were estimated at US$32.2 billion, increased by 41.6%. Thus, during 9 months, the agricultural trade surplus reached over US$3.3 billion, a miracle in the context that the whole economy was affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Agricultural product exports were severely affected in August when the production and business chain of agricultural products disrupted due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, in September, the export of many agricultural products increased again, which is a very good sign. It is predicted that from now to the end of the year, agricultural production and export will continue to achieve good growth.

In the first 9 months of the year, Dong Nai's pepper exports increased by nearly 66.3% over the same period last year.

Pepper planting model of GlobalGAP standards of farmers in Cam My District.

Photo by P. Anh

Dong Nai hits a high rate

Despite being an industrial province, Dong Nai is very interested in developing agricultural production. Therefore, even in a difficult period due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, Dong Nai still maintains a high growth rate in agricultural production. Specifically, in the first 6 months of the year, the growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value in the province reached nearly 4.4%. The third quarter was more difficult, so in the first 9 months of the year, this growth rate was only over 3%, but all of them were higher than the national average. The total herd of pigs reached nearly 2.4 million heads, more than 1% over the same period last year; poultry flock reached 25.3 million heads, more than 7.5% over the same period. In particular, the export turnover of many key agricultural products in the province achieved impressive growths such as: cashew nuts increased by over 13%, pepper increased by nearly 66.3%, rubber increased by nearly 99.9 %, etc.

Regarding efforts in agricultural production development in difficult times, Mr. Tran Quang Tu, Chairman of Dinh Quan District People's Committee, shared that the district has exploited the local advantages in aquaculture development to ensure income for citizens. The district's Office of Agriculture and Rural Development has coordinated with enterprises to apply the high-tech agricultural models to the organic rice production, contributing to increase the income for rice farmers in many communes in the area. The model has converted in some areas from 2 rice crops to 2 corn crops with the participation of enterprises; farmers are supported with seeds and pesticides, so their income is quite stable. In addition, the district has oriented to form a number of areas specializing in rice, corn, clean vegetables, fruit trees, etc. to establish more sustainable and effective production chains.

Mr. Cao Tien Sy, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province, said that the growth rate of the agricultural sector has never been so close to the general growth rate of the economy in the province as it is now. The growth rate of the agricultural sector in the past few years has always kept a very significant increase, especially in the first 6 months of this year when it was not affected by the Covid-19 epidemic. Although the agricultural sector does not make a large contribution to the province's GDP, it still plays a role in maintaining the development of the economy, especially during the current difficult period due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Phan Anh

According to Mr. Le Quoc Doanh - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the ministry is expecting that in the remaining 3 months, agricultural production will have better changes, especially striving to reach US$44 billion in agricultural exports. In the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, many industry groups had a negative growth rate in the third quarter of 2021, the agricultural sector still had positive growth confirming its role as a pillar for the economy.