Delta farms thrive despite disasters, diseases

CUU LONG DELTA — Natural disasters and disease outbreaks have made agricultural production difficult this year, but provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have still managed to achieve high economic targets.

Le Minh Hoan, chairman of the Dong Thap Province People's Committee, said that the province's paddy output this year would reach a record high of 3.1 million tonnes.

Export revenues from the export of tra fish have also increased significantly, reaching nearly US$400 million, about $80 million more than the province's target, Hoan said.

This year, Dong Thap has achieved a growth rate of 13.55 per cent, 0.55 per cent higher than the annual target, he said.

Kien Giang Province topped the country in paddy output this year, harvesting 3.92 million tonnes, up 420,000 tonnes against last year.

Tran Quang Cui, deputy director of the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province has expanded the area under the autumn-winter rice crop by 40,000ha this year.

Paddy yield has also increased by 0.3 tonnes per hectare against last year due to proper investment in improved cultivation techniques and agricultural inputs, he said.

Kien Giang's aquaculture and fisheries output topped 529,000 tonnes this year, a year-on-year increase of 7.7 per cent.

The province is estimated to earn export revenues of nearly US$632 million from produce this year, up 34 per cent against last year.

In Ca Mau Province, seafood processors faced a shortage of shrimp for processing this year, but seafood export revenues still reached a high $910 million.

However, the world economy was still in turmoil and the export of farm produce in particular would face several hurdles in 2012, experts said.

Duong Tien Dung, deputy chairman of the Ca Mau Province People's Committee, said next year the province would increase the area under industrial shrimp farming by 1,700 ha to 5,000 ha.

However, Ca Mau now faced several difficulties, including a weak irrigation system which cannot meet the demand for developing industrial shrimp farming, Dung said.

Power supply was still inadequate, he said.

Shrimp farmers and enterprises were facing a shortage of loans for production, he said, calling for the central government's support in addressing these problems.

Ben Tre Province, meanwhile, plans to carry out several measures to promote agriculture production and stabilise the lives of residents.

The Ben Tre Province People's Committee has asked district-level People's Committees, departments and sectors to provide preferential loans for farmers and enterprises to increase production.

The An Giang Province People's Committee has also targeted an economic growth rate of 12.5 per cent next year and an average per capita income of more than VND33.8 million a year.

To meet these targets, An Giang will continue promoting its agriculture advantages, especially producing high-quality rice under the large-scale farm model that it experimented successfully this year. — VNS