Lang Son's agriculture and environment sector to transform toward sustainability

After the success of the August Revolution, on November 14, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh signed a decree establishing the Ministry of Agriculture. At the provincial level, the Department of Agriculture was formed, laying the first foundations for the management and organization of agricultural and forestry production in the locality.

During the subsequent collectivization period, land management was strengthened; the land administration agency was separated from the Ministry of Finance and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Department of Land Administration was established, gradually completing the state management system for resources and production.

Alongside the renovation process and the development of a socialist-oriented market economy, two specialized agencies were established: the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. For many years, these two entities served as the core force, enabling the province to manage water, forests, land, minerals, the environment, and agriculture effectively, supporting economic development and stabilizing people’s livelihoods.

On March 1, 2025, Lang Son province officially merged these two units into the Department of Agriculture and Environment marking the first time that agriculture and environment were unified under a single management body.

Agriculture cannot develop without sustainable resource management, nor can the environment be protected if separated from production practices. The merger opens the way for a new governance model: shifting from file-based management to science- and data-driven administration.

From subsistence production to responsible production

Over the past 80 years, what has defined Lang Son’s agricultural resilience is not just increased productivity but innovative production thinking. Between 1955 and 1985, Lang Son moved from small-scale farming to collectivization. The province increased investment in irrigation, expanding cultivated areas to nearly 40,000 hectares, of which over 13,000 hectares were irrigated for intensive and multiple cropping. Rice yields reached over 2.3 tons per hectare per crop. 

Entering the 1986-2000 period, Lang Son’s agriculture directly applied scientific advancements, introduced new crop varieties, diversified crops, and improved cropping calendars. Grain production rose from 125,000 tons in 1994 to over 206,000 tons in 2000; per capita grain availability increased from 235 kg to 284 kg per person per year. Forest coverage also rose significantly, from 17% to 33.88%.

From this, the province established a core principle: forests are not a protection burden but development capital; natural resources must be managed for long-term, multi-value development to serve production, livelihoods, and sustainable growth. This shift in mindset laid the foundation for agriculture in the 21st century, moving from “subsistence production” to “responsible production,” aligned with both resources and market demand.

Growing through quality and value

From 2001 to 2020, the industrialization and modernization of agriculture were strongly promoted. In the 2015-2020 period, the GRDP growth rate of the agriculture-forestry sector reached 2.73% per year. The sector’s share of the province’s total GRDP fell from 26.08% to 19.92%.

Conversely, agriculture expanded in both quality and scale. Average annual grain production reached 311,000 tons, exceeding the plan by 3.6%. 95% of rural residents had access to safe water; aquaculture areas totaled 1,290 ha, with nearly 2,000 tons of output per year. Forestry continued to be a driving force, with more than 9,000 ha of new forest planted annually. Forest coverage reached 64.5% in 2025, up 1.5% from 2020.

Alongside modernization, land and resource management became key to improving agricultural governance. Lang Son shifted to data-driven management. Many communes and wards established comprehensive land database systems. The VNPT-iLIS system integrates public services with tax authorities to determine financial obligations.

The province also approved measures to limit groundwater extraction and assessed the carrying capacity of rivers and lakes for wastewater. Geological and mineral exploitation was evaluated, with resources strictly managed for construction purposes.

In the environmental sector, the province assisted communes in meeting environmental criteria under the new rural development program. By June 2025, 106 out of 175 communes met standards, 28 communes reached advanced new rural, and 10 communes achieved model status, averaging 15.21 criteria per commune, up 2.31 criteria from 2020.

On this foundation, Lang Son developed the OCOP program further. OCOP is not just a product list but a way to reorganize the agricultural market. With certification, traceability, packaging, regional branding, and quality standards, farmers sell cultural value, identity, and quality not just raw materials. This marks a crucial shift from “production for subsistence” to “production to capture the market.”

Breakthroughs for developing green, smart agriculture

Nguyen Huu Chien, Director of Lang Son’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that building on 80 years of tradition, the sector will focus on four key breakthrough areas to lay the foundation for modern, sustainable agriculture.

Promote the use of information technology in management and operations, and build a unified, synchronized sector database. Data will cover land, mineral resources, water, the environment, and agriculture and forestry production, effectively supporting decision-making and the exploitation of local advantages.

Strengthen the application of science and technology, especially in breeding. The sector prioritizes developing high-yield, high-quality crop and livestock varieties that are climate-resilient and meet domestic and export market demands.

Innovate farming methods toward green, smart, and sustainable agriculture; establish concentrated commodity production zones applying advanced techniques, enhancing value addition and product competitiveness.

Effectively leverage local potential and advantages to develop large-scale commercial agricultural production, especially specialty and key crops; gradually form closed-value chains from production to processing and consumption, aiming for green, efficient, and sustainable agriculture.

Eighty years is a long journey, but not an endpoint. It represents the accumulated capacity to enter a new phase of knowledge, standards, and markets. The merger of the Department on March 1, 2025, marks a pivotal point, enabling the sector to operate under a new system in which all land, water, forests, and ecological resources are managed within a unified framework.

With science-based management, decisions become faster, more accurate, and more optimal. This is the path for Lang Son’s Department of Agriculture and Environment to continue moving steadily forward in the era of sustainable development.