04:09, 22/09/2020

Support for crop conversion: Focusing on disadvantaged areas

Over the past 3 years, thanks to the State's policies of encouragement and support, thousands of agricultural land have converted crops, bringing high income for farmers. In the next time, this policy will give priority to disadvantaged areas.

Over the past 3 years, thanks to the State's policies of encouragement and support, thousands of agricultural land have converted crops, bringing high income for farmers. In the next time, this policy will give priority to disadvantaged areas.
 
Efficiency of conversion
 
In the period of 2017 - 2020, policies to support the development of agricultural production and rural areas in the province have 7 supported cases. They are: converting crops, cooperating, linking production with sale of agricultural products and building large fields; high technology application; concentrated breeding; construction and renovation of cattle and poultry slaughterhouses; salt production of salt; and rural jobs. However, almost only crop conversion is more accessible to the people. Specifically, over 96%  of the nearly VND50 billion of the State budget implementing this policy in the 2017 - 2020 period has been used to support people to convert crops. In which, 334ha of inefficient annual crops has been switched to growing vegetables and beans. 
 
With perennial trees, thanks to the initial support policy of the State, people have bravely renovated their horticultural gardens to plant fruit trees of high economic value. The whole province has more 895ha of durians, 355ha of grapefruits, 187ha of mangoes, 49ha of rambutans, 35ha of jackfruits that are developing well. Some areas can be harvested with economic efficiency much higher than before. Movement of crop conversion on perennial crop land develops most strongly in Khanh Son District when more than 1,000 hectares of mixed upland gardens have been converted to fruit trees. The conversion spreads to the villages of the ethnic minority people. According to Nguyen Doan Dat - Vice Chairman of Son Hiep Commune People's Committee (in Khanh Son District), just during the last 3 years, farmers in the commune have changed from inefficient gardens to planting more than 100ha of durian trees, increasing the total area of durian trees in the commune to 226ha. More than 30 hectares of them have been harvested, bringing hundreds of millions to billions dong for farming households, including ethnic minority households. This is an exciting innovation that needs scaling up.
 

 

Farmers in Xuan Son Commune, Van Ninh District change to planting jackfruits on hill land
Farmers in Xuan Son Commune, Van Ninh District change to planting jackfruits on hill land.
 
Prioritizing disadvantaged areas
 
As proposed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the period 2021 - 2025, the implementation of policies to support the development of agricultural production and rural areas will be in the direction of reducing the area and increasing the level of support. This policy is implemented in communes in disadvantaged areas as decided by the Prime Minister. Specifically, in the period of 2017 - 2020, the minimum conversion area supported was 2ha for annual crops and 5ha for perennial crops, the figures in the next period will be reduced to 1ha for annual crops and 3ha for perennials.
 
For the level of support, the State will support 70% of the cost of buying seeds, fertilizers and plant protection drugs (instead of 50%); support 50% of the cost of building an economical watering system (instead of 30%). The maximum level of support is also proposed to double compared to before, they are VND20 million/ha for perennial crops and VND40 million/ha for annual crops.
 
As planned, in the period 2021 - 2025, the whole province will convert more than 8,000 hectares of crops, including 4,576ha to be converted in disadvantaged areas. The state budget is expected to spend about VND274 billion to implement this policy for people in disadvantaged areas.
 
Hong Dang
 
Translated by T.T