Huế to spend $52m on agriculture

A vegetable farm VietGap safety standard meeting in Quảng Thành Commune of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồ Cầu

THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — Authorities of the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế is directing their resources on implementing 12 priority projects worth nearly VNĐ1.2 trillion (US$52 million) to accelerate the agricultural restructuring process by 2020.

It includes the upgrading of a storm-proof wharf and expansion of Thuận An fishing port, construction of infrastructure for aquaculture in Phong Hải Commune of Phong Điền District, investment in facilities for shrimp breeding in Phú Vang District’s Phú Xuân Commune and Phú Lộc District’s Vĩnh Hưng Commune, as well as other coastal forest and lagoon development projects.

Also, topmost on the agenda of the province is a project to enhance food safety management and build a food safety production and trade chain for the period between 2016 and 2020. Other projects include the improvement of Thanh Trà grapefruit output and quality, large-scale fields for rice, groundnut and vegetables, and setting up pig and cow farms.

It is aiming for a sustainable agriculture in combination with new rural development and environment protection.

The priority fields for restructuring include cultivation, animal husbandry, forestry, fisheries, and irrigation, as well as the processing industry and key agricultural commodities.

Specifically, in cultivation, about 3,300ha of rice growing areas in the mountainous, coastal and water-scarce areas will be used to grow corn, groundnut, vegetables, flowers and aquaculture.

By 2020, the forest area will reach 293,250ha, including 122,100ha of commercial forests.

Meanwhile, around 900ha will be used for shrimp breeding on sand for export, with a capacity of about 13,500 tonnes.

The proportion of offshore fishing vessels with a capacity of at least 90CV will be increased from the current 15 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020, so that the offshore seafood output would account for over 70 per cent of the total output.

Thừa-Thiên Huế is targeting an agriculture growth of over 3.5 per cent, with seed and fisheries outputs of 310,000 tonnes to 320,000 tonnes and 73,000 tonnes per year, respectively, and doubling the income of rural families by 2020.