Quang Tri Gathers Resources for High-tech Agriculture Development

Quang Tri province has 117 communes in eight districts and towns participating in the National Target Program on New Rural Development. Despite having a low starting point, the province has managed to achieve important results in deploying the program.

Promoting development of cooperatives

After nearly two years of carrying out the program, the communes have a better appearance, featuring green, clean and beautiful spaces and flowery and tree-shaded roads. The public lighting system is available for all major village roads and alleys. The rural environment has been basically improved, with effective waste collection and treatment models in place and guaranteed rural security and order. Many creative models have been effectively carried out in localities such as roads with flowers and green trees (Vinh Thuy, Vinh Kim and Cam Chinh), model gardens (Cam Hieu and Vinh Thuy), public lighting (Hai Thuong) and national security protection in all localities.

Mr. Cap Kim Thanh, Chairman of the Quang Tri Cooperative Alliance, said, cooperatives in the province have affirmed their role as a bridge for developing and exchanging industrial and agricultural goods between urban and rural areas and accelerating the labor restructuring. They have made an important contribution to the process of new rural development as they are directly or indirectly taking part in 19 criteria on new rural development: raising per capita income, reducing poverty rate, and restructuring the labor force toward stability. In particular, in new rural development, communes are required to have well-performing cooperatives that have contracts to sell agricultural products for farmers.

Therefore, local authorities have seriously supported cooperatives under the Law on Cooperatives 2012, particularly focusing on product consumption, changing public mindset and actions to catch up with actual requirements of local agricultural restructuring.

“In some localities, cooperatives also flexibly cooperate with each other to produce organic agricultural products to ensure consumer health and improve incomes for farmers. The province now has 279 registered agricultural cooperatives with more than 68,800 members under the 2012 Law on Agricultural Cooperatives. This is also a foundation for cooperatives to carry out product consumption criteria for people and give a helping hand to new rural development,” he said.

Focusing resources

At present, Quang Tri has not established high-tech agriculture zones. According to leaders of Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, to build and develop high-tech agriculture, Quang Tri has asked the Government, central agencies and ministries to consider supporting the following contents: Adding Quang Tri to the national high-tech agricultural zone plan; supporting, introducing and inviting large enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises to invest in hi-tech agriculture in Quang Tri; funding and prioritizing resources for the province to build and scale up high-tech agriculture models to increase farmers' income; applying investment support and encouragement policies to start up agricultural businesses; issuing specific mechanisms and policies to create favorable conditions and encourage businesses to invest in local agriculture.

Mr. Ha Sy Dong, Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, said that the province is shifting agricultural production to improve product quality. Although the achievements are still not commensurate with local potential advantages, those initial outcomes are praiseworthy. “High quality agricultural models have positively changed farmers' perceptions and made them understand that the product quality is very important in production. Moreover, organic agricultural production also promotes producer-consumer linkages, thus bringing more benefits to producers, boosting local agricultural product brands, and protecting consumer health,” he said.

According to Vice Chairman Ha Sy Dong, Quang Tri province requires each district/town to build 1-2 organic agricultural production models. This long-term strategy is aimed to attract and call businesses and cooperatives to invest in hi-tech agricultural development. To do this, the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee has assigned relevant agencies to study and advise on such policies as supporting land lease and land accumulation to invest in hi-tech agriculture; create clean land fund and complete infrastructure; and boost trade promotion and other preferential policies to attract more resources to invest in agricultural production. “Quang Tri is creating a better investment and business environment; businesses, entrepreneurs and investors will be effectively supported most to do business in the province,” he emphasized.

Duy Anh

 THE PROGRAM COOPERATED WITH CENTRAL COORDINATION FOR NEW-STYLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT