Phu Tho (VNA)🐭 – The northern province of Phu Tho has drastically restructured its agricultural sector, which is expected to create a breakthrough in increasing the province’s competitiveness, added value, and sustainable development, and contribute to the construction of new-style rural areas in the province.

As a mountainous disadvantaged district of Phu Tho province, Yen Lap district has paid attention to stages from agricultural development planning in its all communes/townships to publicising and developing regulations on the management of agricultural production. The district has been carrying out the construction and renovation of fields, building a system of agricultural and rural technical infrastructure, regrouping lands for large-scale production, promoting mechanisation, and applying technological advances to production. Do Tuan Vinh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Lap township, said that after land regrouping, the efficiency of agricultural production was significantly improved while inland traffic and irrigation systems got synchronized investment. Meanwhile, Cam Khe district implemented solutions to effectively and sustainably restructure the agricultural sector, said Tran Thi Thu Huong, head of the district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department. She said that the district has directed relevant agencies to pay attention to land regrouping, land planning, technological transfer and application. The district also mobilises resources and integrates programmes and policies to support agricultural development activities. It has allocated billions of Vietnamese dong to support the development of models, including the production of high-quality rice and clean vegetables with VietGAP standards, planting fruit trees, developing high-tech aquatic products, and building brands for typical agricultural products of the district. According to the district People's Committee, the synchronous implementation of plans and solutions, especially the application of high technology in agricultural production, has brought in great efficiency, creating a comprehensive breakthrough for the locality. Thanks to models with scientific and technological application, people can access and grasp scientific and technical advances. This saves costs, increases productivity, improves the quality of agricultural products, and protects the environment. To continue to tap the potential and advantages of the locality and develop the agricultural economy, the local agricultural department proposed the provincial People's Committee issue a plan to develop agriculture, forestry, and fisheries during the period 2021-2025. The plan would restructure agricultural production in the direction of large-scale concentrated production and promote the application of advanced and environmentally friendly technologies, contributing to transforming Phu Tho into the region's leading developed province in the northern midland and mountainous region. In the period 2021-2025, the province will focus on developing and improving the quality of its key products such as pomelo, tea, banana, high-quality rice, large timber trees, livestock, and poultry. The province aims to develop specialties and signature products, and build trademarks and geographical indications in association with the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Programme. Currently, the province has more than 380 agricultural cooperatives and 350 farms meeting the programme's criteria. Of which, 63 cooperatives, and 92 large-scale farms have participated in production and consumption linkages. Implementing the OCOP programme, last year, 65 products and product groups have been evaluated, recognized and upgraded. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that to realise the dual goal of both restructuring agriculture and building new-style rural areas, in 2023, the agricultural sector will continue to strengthen the production restructuring, improve the quality, value and efficiency of key and typical agricultural products, promote digital transformation in agriculture, and effectively implement mechanisms and policies to promote production. The province strives to have seven more communes and one district meeting new-style rural area standards. By the end of 2023, it expects to have 201 OCOP products with three-star or higher. Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Bui Van Quang asked the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate with other departments, agencies, and localities to continue to propose solutions for developing the province’s agricultural economy. Agricultural restructuring must be towards commodity production, developing value chains from production to preservation, processing, and consumption, and at the same time attracting investment resources to upgrade agricultural and rural infrastructure and build new-style rural areas./.