Toward Smart Agriculture

Carrying out Resolution 05-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee on comprehensive, sustainable, modern agricultural development and executing restructuring projects of the Provincial People’s Committee, the agricultural sector of Lam Dong province has created a comprehensive transformation with many outstanding achievements.

Deep impressions

Lam Dong is a high-tech agricultural research and production center of the country, a producer of high-value agricultural products for the world market, oriented to develop multi-sector agriculture. The focus is placed on four goals: Aiming to build the No. 1 brand in Vietnam; the No. 1 flower and vegetable producer in Southeast Asia; the No. 1 agricultural tourist destination in Vietnam; and a key human resource training and agricultural research center in the Central Highlands.

To carry out Resolution 05-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee, the agricultural sector has reaped positive results. The stable agricultural land area of about 300,000 ha is organized as concentrated commercial farming area, consistent with competitive advantages of each climate subregion in the province. The value of agricultural investment is increasing, especially high-tech application and smart tech application to production, processing and consumption of agricultural products. Lam Dong province currently has 60,200 ha of high-tech agricultural production, accounting for 20% of arable land, up 40% more than in 2015. High-tech agricultural production value accounts for 40% of the total agricultural production value. These factors have helped raise the average production value to VND185 million per ha a year, an increase of VND40 million over 2015.

Agricultural and rural infrastructure continues to be improved and modernized. Two key irrigation works - Da Lay Lake and Da Si Lake - were kicked off and nearly completed and over 260 km of canals was upgraded to water 168,000 ha, accounting for 65% of the cultivated area (an increase of 21,900 ha compared to 2015).

In particular, the increased cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement the agricultural development project under the multi-sector approach created the brand “Da Lat - miraculous crystallization from the soil” on some key agricultural products of the province. At present, the province has 1,300 ha of vegetables certified GAP standards; 77,000 ha of sustainable coffee area; 20 certified disease-free farms; and 19 brands and geographical indications.

The system of local agricultural and rural production and business units continues to be restructured to match the market mechanism. More and more forms of cooperation have been formed and developed, especially agricultural value chain models, thus linking production with the market, improving the quality and value of agricultural products, and increasing incomes for people.

Toward smart agriculture

In the 2020-2025 term, the agriculture sector will target an annual growth of 4.5-5%. The agricultural and forestry sector will account for 35-36.5% of the province's economic structure. In the agricultural sector, crop farming will account for 75-78%, husbandry will make up 18-20%, and service will contribute 4-5%. The sector will aim to raise the performance of more than 300,000 ha of agricultural land, striving to make 25% of the cultivated area high-tech agriculture area, of which smart agriculture will reach 1,000 ha and organic agriculture will reach 1,600 ha. The product value per unit area is VND220 million per hectare a year.

The province will further develop production and consumption chains, striving to increase at least 10% of chains and 20% of the area, output, and participating farmers in the value chain each year; raise the share of agricultural consumption through the value chain to 50% of agricultural product value; focus on building and developing agricultural product brands, especially the brand “Da Lat - miraculous crystallization from the soil”; and have at least 150 provincial OCOP products and 20 national OCOP products.

Lam Dong province will well implement agricultural investment policies and develop agricultural production, processing and consumption chains; improve the operational efficiency of agricultural cooperatives, establish capable cooperatives to better meet market requirements; enhance market forecasts to work out production plans; and speed up technological application to product processing and preservation.

The province will build modern agriculture by strongly applying science and technology to production, processing and consumption to raise the quality and value of agricultural products. The focus will be placed on high-tech and smart agricultural development.

Source: Vietnam Bunnies Forum