Addressing issues related to credit, high-tech agriculture market

The Bac Giang province People’s Committee on April 3 organized a meeting to review the implementation of Resolution No. 130-NQ/TU dated August 16, 2016 of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board on pushing high-tech application in agricultural production during 2016-2020. The meeting was presided over by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Duong Van Thai.  

The green pea farming model following VietGAP standard of the Dinh Tri Agricultural Services Cooperative in Bac Giang city.

Sound guidelines, creative methods

In implementing the abovementioned resolution, on September 30, 2016, the provincial People’s Committee issued Scheme No. 211/KH-UBND on intensifying high-tech application in agricultural production. Thanks to sound guidelines, units and localities have actively participated in the work, creating significant changes in public awareness and implementation.

Bac Giang has, to date, invested more than 67 billion VND (2.9 million USD) in high-tech agriculture, and formed 21 models using high-tech in production, preservation and processing of agricultural products, contributing to raising productivity, quality, value and competitiveness of the products. The most noteworthy is a 30-ha safe vegetable production and processing model in Tien Dung commune of Yen Dung district, a 33-ha vegetable area in Dong Lo commune of Hiep Hoa district, and indoor flower farms in Tan My, Dinh Tri and Song Mai communes of Bac Giang city.

Many units and localities have employed creative methods. For example, apart from the province’s policies, Yen Dung has provided centralized production areas of at least 2ha each with up to 130 million VND (5,700 USD) to build roads and electricity systems and buy machines, and 5 million VND (220 USD) per ha to buy farming materials. Hiep Hoa has also provided 150 million VND (6,500 USD) for each model to help with package print. Tan Yen district has assisted environmental pollution settlement by biological by-products. Yen Dung Safe Vegetable Cooperative has applied VietGap standards in cultivating four crops each year, supplying safe vegetables to the market in and outside the province. T&T Group JSC has also partnered with the Tan Yen People’s Committee to encourage people to lease farming land in order to implement a large-scale high-tech agriculture project.

Shortcomings seen in production and distribution

Despite upbeats outcomes from the implementation of the resolution and plan, the expansion and development of high-tech farming still face lots of difficulties. Big C representatives and leaders of the Viet Yen People’s Committee said the scale of high-tech farming remains small and scattered, and local farmers still want to keep their lands instead of allowing firms to rent them. The quantity of farm produce is low, while quality and design are uneven among products, resulting in difficult supply for supermarkets. Local authorities are advised to support the expansion of high-tech farming in line with the local planning, to encourage residents to apply land consolidation and apply technologies, and to support them in distributing their products.

Most companies and cooperatives asked commercial banks to clear hurdles for them in obtaining loans for high-tech farming development.

A large number of cooperatives and farmers are not fully aware of prices and demand in the market, which could help them come up with an effective production plan. Relevant agencies need to make the public market forecast and monitor products’ quality.

New support mechanisms, sectors’ engagement needed

Addressing the meeting, Vice Chairman Duong Van Thai emphasized that sectors and localities have actively implemented the resolution over the past year. However, many districts haven’t carried out the work methodologically. Notably, some local agriculture and rural development divisions haven’t played an active role in planning and encouraging hi-tech agriculture.

To remove obstacles in a timely manner, he asked the People’s Committees of districts and Bac Giang city to thoroughly grasp Plan No. 211 to better the resolution implementation. They need to promptly devise financial aid mechanisms for the agricultural models applying high technology. Relevant agencies and localities need to expand hi-tech agriculture associated with building new-style rural areas so as to capitalize on their advantages and produce large amounts with consistent quality. It is also necessary to set up new-style cooperatives in this field to link producers and businesses.

The official also asked the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to soon advise the provincial administration to issue farmland leasing and borrowing mechanisms, encourage the private sector to apply high technology in agriculture and enhance manpower training to meet production demand. It also has to coordinate with the finance and planning-investment departments to ensure financial support for eligible models.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment and localities need to boost land consolidation. Meanwhile, the departments of agriculture-rural development, science-technology, and industry-trade should help with choosing suitable plant and animal species, applying high technology in production, building product brands, develop origin traceability system, and expand distribution channels.

The Vice Chairman also told the State Bank of Vietnam’s branch in the province and commercial banks to seriously comply with the Government’s Decree 55/2015/ND-CP on credit policy for the development of agriculture and rural areas.