Strategic shift toward multi-value commodity agriculture

At the conference reviewing the performance of the agriculture and environment sectors in the first half of 2026 and outlining priorities for the remaining six months, held on July 2, local authorities reported on their progress and shared practical recommendations for implementing agricultural restructuring toward a modern and ecological model.

Rolling out ecological agriculture development programs

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex climate change impacts, deeper international integration, and more stringent market standards, Dong Thap Province has identified a strategic shift in agricultural development as both an objective necessity and an urgent priority.

Reporting at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, said that science and technology, together with digital transformation, have become key drivers of growth.

Digital transformation in agriculture has delivered notable results. All data from the provincial to commune level has been digitized and made publicly available to serve citizens and businesses. The province continues to operate 24 smart pest-monitoring systems across major rice-growing areas, while coordinating efforts to bring 100% of its OCOP products onto e-commerce platforms, thereby enhancing the value and marketability of local agricultural products.

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien proposed that the Ministry provide early guidance on developing a project to position Dong Thap as a pioneering and model province for ecological agriculture, modern rural development, and prosperous, civilized farmers. He also called for continued implementation of the national agricultural development and infrastructure spatial planning strategy through 2030, including the One Million Hectare Rice project.

He further proposed selecting Dong Thap as a pilot locality for digital transformation in agriculture, focusing on the digitization of agricultural databases and production processes to improve product traceability and enable the collection of measurement data for AI-based assessment. He also recommended that the Ministry issue an architectural framework, technical standards, and implementation guidelines to support the pilot program.

In addition, the provincial People's Committee urged the Ministry to promptly issue unified technical guidelines on measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV), emissions reduction certification, and carbon market mechanisms for the rice sector. It also called for a policy framework to help localities attract investment in facilities that process rice straw and other agricultural by-products across the Mekong Delta.

Investing in infrastructure to enhance agricultural competitiveness

Mr. Nguyen Hong Quang, Deputy Director of the Bac Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the province has gradually established large-scale concentrated production zones for key crops, laying the foundation for stable raw material areas that support agricultural processing and exports.

For rice production, the province maintains a stable cultivation area of around 70,000 hectares per crop, with more than 88,800 hectares of high-quality rice cultivated annually, accounting for nearly 59% of the total planted area. Efforts have focused on developing high-quality rice production zones that reduce input costs while improving productivity and value addition.

The province has also established concentrated production areas for potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and various vegetables, enhancing land-use efficiency and meeting the growing demands of both domestic and export markets. For fruit production, particularly lychee, Bac Ninh is developing standardized production zones while strengthening the management of plantation codes and packing facilities.

The province currently has approximately 54,000 hectares of fruit orchards, including nearly 30,000 hectares of lychee. More than 17,300 hectares are certified under the VietGAP standard. These achievements provide a solid foundation for expanding export markets, enhancing the value of agricultural brands, and promoting the sustainable development of the agricultural economy.

In addition to crop production, Bac Ninh Province is restructuring its livestock sector toward large-scale commercial production, biosafety, high-tech applications, and value chain development. The province has established 53 livestock production linkage chains and 175 contract-farming livestock farms in partnership with major enterprises, including Dabaco, CP, and other companies.

Emphasizing that agricultural restructuring must be implemented through renewed development thinking, with economic efficiency, green growth, and sustainability as overarching objectives, Mr. Nguyen Hong Quang proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment continue to study and improve policies for developing concentrated raw-material zones linked to processing industries, logistics, and agricultural product consumption, while prioritizing investment resources for infrastructure serving large-scale commodity production areas.

Second, he called for continued support for localities in research, breeding, testing, and the transfer of new crop varieties with high productivity and quality, strong pest and disease resistance, and adaptability to climate change.

Third, he recommended accelerating the development of a national database and a shared digital platform for crop production, with synchronized connectivity from the central to the local levels, covering growing area codes, packing facilities, product traceability, pest forecasting, and market forecasting.

Fourth, he urged continued efforts to negotiate market access, harmonize regulations on plant quarantine, technical standards, and food safety, and strengthen international trade promotion activities and the branding of Vietnamese agricultural products. He also proposed stronger mechanisms to encourage enterprises to invest in high-tech agriculture.