On May 21, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment led by Deputy Minister Hoang Trung had a working session with the People's Committee of Lao Cai province on the agricultural development situation in the area.
At the working session, Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee said that in recent years, the locality has promoted the restructuring of the agricultural sector towards green, circular, adapting to climate change and improving added value.
Many large-scale commodity raw material areas have been formed such as cinnamon, tea, medicinal herbs, bananas, pineapple, mulberry... The OCOP program continues to develop with 582 products recognized, including 2 products achieving 5 stars.
Livestock farming is maintained stably with a total livestock herd reaching 1.44 million heads, poultry 12.9 million heads; seafood output reaching more than 9,000 tons. The forest cover rate of the whole province reached 61.43%, with more than 36,000 hectares of planted forest certified for forests and organic cinnamon certified.
Lao Cai also promotes digital transformation in agriculture through community agricultural extension models, digital agricultural extension fairs and digital skills training for farmers.
However, the locality still faces many difficulties such as limited infrastructure serving production, complicated natural disasters, lack of resources for high-tech agriculture and irrigation works, reservoirs serving highlands.
At the working session, Vice Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee Giang Quoc Hung requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to continue to support localities in terms of investment resources, transfer of science and technology, human resource training and attracting businesses to invest in the field of high-tech agriculture, pesticide processing and key agricultural products.
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment highly appreciated Lao Cai's efforts in agricultural development associated with sustainable poverty reduction and environmental protection.
Mr. Hoang Trung proposed that Lao Cai province continue to develop the rural economy towards commodities; promote the advantages of forestry and pharmaceuticals; systematically plan planting areas and strengthen links between people, cooperatives and businesses.
Lao Cai needs to focus on attracting investment in deep processing to improve the value of agricultural products, limit crude exports and gradually build local product brands," Mr. Hoang Trung emphasized.
Previously, the working delegation surveyed high-tech vegetable, flower, and milky grape growing models in Y Ty commune; visited a high-tech medicinal material production model and researched plant varieties in Bac Ha.
