Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr. Hoang Trung - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shared: "Soil is a special material serving our production and cultivation. International organizations have raised the issue of how to preserve and improve soil better."
Currently, the average land area per capita is low; combined with intensive farming practices, monoculture, unbalanced use of fertilizers and pesticides; soil pollution due to the development of industrial zones and craft villages; the impact of climate change leading to drought, salinity intrusion, acidification, etc. have seriously degraded soil health.
Faced with this situation, many management and technical activities have been implemented. The legal framework for soil health has also been basically completed, meeting practical needs. However, there are still many issues that need to be focused on in soil health management.
Mr. Hoang Trung also said that since June 25, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has organized a conference to present the current situation and solutions for cropland. At that time, many problems arising in practice were discussed. The Ministry has directed its specialized agencies to coordinate with experts to implement the Project "Improving soil health and plant nutrition management".
The project clearly identifies the role of soil management and plant nutrition in preventing soil degradation, developing organic agriculture and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Nang Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Soil Science Association, adding and enhancing organic matter to the soil is necessary and long-term.
"We want to have a national program to improve soil health associated with crops," the President of the Vietnam Soil Science Association proposed.
Mr. Dung affirmed that if approved by the Ministry, in the first half of 2025, the Association will complete the task of statistics and classification of Vietnam's soil; by the end of 2025, it will complete the construction of a set of criteria for assessing soil health with agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that immediately after the conference, the Ministry will issue a specific action plan to effectively implement the Project. The Project will also receive the attention and coordination of the entire political system, from the central to local levels, to join hands to protect and improve soil health, contributing to the successful implementation of the National Strategy on Green Growth and Sustainable Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.
