Vietnam Agriculture - Weekly Summary (16 - 22 July 2018)

A weekly summary of agriculture development and production in Vietnam by VietLinh online

Processing, Import and Export:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) issued Circular 07/2018/TT-BNNPTNT on checking impurities in shrimp and shrimp products.

Accordingly, inspectorates of MARD, the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department and other authoritative agencies as assigned by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development can regularly inspect farmers’ compliance with regulations on the control, prevention of impurities in shrimp and shrimp products. In addition to inspection, these units can assess food safety assurance conditions; check and certify export shipments according to policies of MARD. In addition, these units can make unexpected inspections when receiving information about businesses’ violations.

The inspection agencies shall collect documents, evidence, and information according to regulations. They can also interview or verify businesses’ reports when necessary. These units might also request or save samples for inspection, and measure impurities in laboratories.

Livestock:

High-quality cow breeds such as 3B and Red Angus have become more familiar to many farmers in Binh Dinh Province. They are chosen to replace other types of cows. With a profit of about VND10 million/cow/year, high-quality cow breeds help hundreds of farmers change their lives and become rich.

In previous years, farmers in Binh Dinh Province mainly raised yellow cow, which has small size, low weight and low yield. The new breeds of 3B and Red Angus have helped farmers achieve much higher economic returns compared to before.

These breeds have many advantages such as fast growth rates, less-disease or easy-to-care characteristics. They have high rate of lean-to-bone ratios; thus, give high economic efficiency. From 2015 until now, the number of high-quality cows (3B and Red Angus) is estimated at more than 15,000 cattle each year in Binh Dinh.

Plantation:

The Vietnam - Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) Project in Hau Giang Province is funded by a loan from World Bank. It has 4 components. Of which, Hau Giang has been selected for two components, namely Component B for sustainable rice development, and Component D on project management, monitoring and evaluation.

This project’s objectives are to contribute to the agricultural sector’s restructuring plan through strengthening the institutional capacity of the sector; to renovate sustainable farming practices, and to improve the value chain of rice. The project has a total of 36,600 farming households participating with 40,000 hectares of paddy land of 32 commune-level units and 6 provincial-level units.

Since the beginning of the year, the project has provided trainings in “3 decreases and 3 increases” for 6,103 farmers for practical application in an area of ​​6,157 hectares. Trainings in “1 increase and 5 decreases” were also provided to 3,726 farmers for implementation in an area of ​​4,041 hectares. Until now, 10,216 farmers have received trainings in “3 decreases and 3 increases.”

Fruits:

Dak Nong Province has six avocado trees that can be multiplied in Dak Mil District. The avocado trees have advantages such as good growth rates, high resistance to pests, diseases or weather, high productivity, and good quality. These trees are very suitable for propagation.

The first six avocado trees have been coded and geographically determined. They are being cared by not only farming households, but also the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The purpose of the shared management is due to the need for a suitable approach to conserve and propagate these avocado trees.

Farmers, Agriculture, Countryside:

Lam Dong Province has diverse populations of plants and animals with a large farming area applying high technology. Yet, so far, organic certification in the province is only available in the production of crops (tea, vegetables), and livestock (dairy cattle). There is a high demand for organic foods in international markets, but the process of registering for organic certification is stringent. Thus, organic farming is developed slowly in Lam Dong. The province has only about 312.2 hectares certified with organic standards.

Although it brings high value, the production of organic foods has low productivity. Its consumers are difficult to reach. The products mainly target high-end consumers such as foreigners living in Vietnam, large hotels or companies.

Living and Environment:

According to the functional sector, the 2018 flood season in the Mekong Delta is likely to arrive earlier than other years.

Flood water in Tien River, Hau River and inland areas is projected to be higher than in 2017. It is approximately equal to the average flood water level of many previous years. The highest flood peak in 2018 in the upstream area might occur in the first half of October, fluctuating at the second or above the second category. The highest flood peak in Dong Thap Muoi area can occur in mid-October at the second category.

By Sonia LV - Copyright © VietLinh