Hai Duong develops green agriculture

Organic cultivation on Thai Binh riverbanks in Tu Ky district for exploitation of natural ruoi and fiddler crabs

Hai Duong province is trying to switch from agricultural production to a green-oriented agricultural economy, according to Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee of Tran Van Quan.

“With inherent potential and strengths, Hai Duong is determined to build a sustainable green agriculture,” said Quan.

Hai Duong considers hi-tech, concentrated commodity and organic agriculture one of four pillars of the province's development.

The province has issued a project to develop hi-tech, concentrated commodity, and organic agriculture in the 2021 – 2025 period with a vision to 2030 to create a premise for a green agriculture to exploit and preserve production materials and conditions at the same time.

There also are support mechanisms and policies to encourage organizations and individuals to develop green agriculture, including funds for VietGAP and GlobalGAP cultivation and animal husbandry, disease control, technology transfer, circular production, and limitation of impacts on the environment.

Thanh Ha lychee, a specialty of Hai Duong, has recently regained its position by dominating fastidious markets and come closer to consumers through ecotourism.

Pham Thi Liem and her husband in An Lao hamlet, Thanh Khe commune, Thanh Ha district, are the pioneers in this approach.

They learned VietGAP techniques to improve the quality and economic efficiency of lychees and planted flowers around their garden, turning a 20-year fallow into the eye-catching Dong Man ecotourism site with fruitful lychee gardens meeting VietGAP standard as the highlight.

Tens of thousands of tourists flock to the site every ripening season to go sightseeing and enjoy export-qualified lychees.

Thanh Ha farmers start to develop multi-valued special agricultural products by combining clean production and ecotourism. Photos: Thanh Chung

Nguyen Dac Viem's large pig farm in Dinh Son commune, Cam Giang district, is supposed to be the most modern one in Hai Duong with a synchronous and closed production process.

From nearly 1,000 breeding pigs imported from the US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, etc., Viem provides about 500 sows and 2,000 commercial pigs for the market each month.

His farm was unaffected even during the outbreak of African swine fever thanks to serious implementation of the clean production process.

Viem's farm is at the forefront of applying science and technology to production. Every breeding pig is given a chip to determine its condition to make appropriate adjustments in diet and activities.

The chip also helps detect diseases quickly for timely handling and avoiding of unnecessary losses.

Pig feeding and barn cleaning are also fully automatic. The pigs' development is kept in a surveillance camera system installed around the barn.

Green agriculture development in Hai Duong is not limited at single models but has widely spread, with Tu Ky farmers’ preservation and exploitation of natural gifts a typical example.

They treasure Thai Binh riverbanks more than gold for a production value of 400-500 million VND/ha/year from specific and OCOP products like organic rice, organic bananas, ruoi (ragworm), and fiddler crabs, which are popular among consumers.

The products’ reputation and customers’ trust have been further strengthened since more than 200 ha of agricultural production in the district were recognized to meet organic production standards.

Hai Duong is one of the leading localities in the development of hi-tech and organic agriculture in the country, according to a leader of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

1,500 out of 15,500 ha of vegetables and fruit trees cultivated under GAP processes in Hai Duong have been granted VietGAP and GlobalGAP certificates.

The province is home to 421.7 ha of organic-oriented cultivation areas, 150 ha of which have been recognized to meet standards.

The locality has 287 production unit codes for export, 521 breeding facilities satisfying the criteria of hi-tech agricultural production, and 1,000 ha of aquaculture models minimizing impacts on the water environment.

Hai Duong also takes the lead in applying economical irrigation technology and building net houses for production…

HOANG LINH