Dak Nong towards High-Tech Agriculture

Aiming to develop agriculture towards high quality, efficiency and sustainability, plus creating a breakthrough in applying high-tech in agriculture, Dak Nong Province has encouraged farmers to switch crops on lands of steep slopes, poor and dry soils from coffee to more suitable crops. Farmers have changed a part of cashew areas to other crops more productive such as pepper, rubber, cocoa, corn, macadamia and various fruits, due to the problems of low productivity and economic inefficiency.

 

Some regions have been gradually formed concentrated production areas to provide material for agricultural products processing enterprises and to meet food demands of local people. For example, Dak Mil District has transformed a number of unproductive cashew areas into sugarcane, mango and other fruit crops; Cu Jut District has developed short-term crops such as peanuts, soybeans, sugarcane and cotton; Dak Song and Tuy Duc District have focused on sweet potato; Krong No District has developed corn and rice crops. Provincial cultivation has also started shifting towards expanding perennial crops of economic efficiency, gradually stabilising crop areas.

 

Thanks to these efforts, in 2001 - 2005, the value of agricultural production in Dak Nong increased 7.66 per cent/year on average; of which the value of crops expanded 7.58 per cent/year, and of livestock 13.47 per cent/year, while agricultural services decreased 4.48 per cent/year. In the next period from 2006 to 2010, the value of agricultural production increased on average 7.5 per cent/year. In 2011, agricultural GDP reached VND 5,045 billion, accounting for 50.2 per cent of total output value of the province. In 2012, the GDP growth rate of agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector rose 7.93 per cent; production value of 1 ha cultivated land reached VND 43 million, an increase of VND 3.98 million compared to 2011, contributing to improving the people's lives. In the first six months of 2013, GDP of the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector increased by 6.9 per cent; grain output reached 338,000 tons, and coffee beans 210,000 tons.

 

As for attracting agricultural investment, during 2004 - 2010, Dak Nong used government capital and also had approved many ODA projects to attract hundreds of billions VND for provincial economic development (project ETSP, FLITCH, AST). Also since 2004, the provincial agricultural sector has attracted over 80 businesses to invest in the agricultural and forestry. So far, there are 52 units have identified land area for investment of a total ​​52,193.4 ha.

 

According to Mr Do Ngoc Duyen, Director of Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, these achievements were the results of strategic leadership of the Provincial Committee, the Provincial People's Committee on agricultural development, represented by Resolution 04 - NQ/TU of Dak Nong Provincial Committee issued on 7/4/2011 on developing hi-tech agriculture from 2010 to 2015 and towards 2020; Plan 313/KH – UBND of Dak Nong People’s Committee on the implementation of Resolution 04-NQ/TU. On this basis, the agricultural sector has changed dramatically both in quality and quantity, understanding the province’s strength to choose the right crops and livestock to develop. One of the great examples is the program of improving quality of beef cows, the project of developing key areas producing food and commodities using high-tech. The application of high-tech in agricultural production has also been promoted strongly. Some businesses have started applying high-tech solutions in production: Sam San Company in Dak Lap District with ​​30 ha of seedless lime, vegetables and other fruits; Tra O'lam Company in Gia Nghia Town with 30 ha of Shan Tuyet tea.

 

According to Mr Duyen, understanding that the current strength of Dak Nong agriculture lay on large livestock (beef cattle), coffee, rubber, pepper and corn, the province had decided for the short term it ahead would focus on producing high-quality merchandise; forming agricultural areas adopting high-tech to produce high-quality products which meets both domestic and international standard; developing agriculture on the basis of applying modern science and technology in production; increasing investment in biotechnology, mechanisation and automation to improve productivity, quality and competitiveness of local agricultural products. Dak Nong would also accelerate the construction of agricultural high-tech application zones in the province and districts in parallel with attracting investment into these zones.