To implement this Program, the Long An provincial agricultural sector focuses on coordinating with provincial departments, branches, People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to effectively carry out information and propaganda work; build production areas of applied agricultural technology, pilot models, and models of replicating applied agricultural technology on 4 crops (including: rice, dragon fruit, lemon, vegetables) and 2 animals (including: beef cattle and brackish water shrimp); support enterprises in applying scientific and technological advances in production, processing and consumption of agricultural products.

Effective application of high technology with "4 trees, 2 animals"

In recent years, lemon trees have emerged as a high-value alternative to the declining dragon fruit tree. Mr. Luu Chi Cuong (Luong Hoa commune, Ben Luc district) said that he is currently growing more than 2 hectares of high-tech seedless lemons and selling them to The Fruit Republic Can Tho Company Limited for export. "In general, lemon prices have been quite good in recent years. Lemon growers are very confident in growing this agricultural product," Mr. Cuong confided.

Talking about the application of ICT for lemon trees, Mr. Cuong said that it will help improve productivity, product quality, reduce costs, increase adaptability to climate change, increase product value and contribute to increasing farmers' income.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long An province, the province currently has an area of ​​​​3,738 ha/3,000 ha of lemons in the Project area, reaching 125% of the plan for the period 2021-2025. Of which, 41 lemon codes have been approved to be maintained and newly granted with an area of ​​​​1,203 ha for export to the European market, UK, New Zealand and the area has been granted GAP certification, with a cumulative total of 664.3 ha to date (of which, VietGAP 200.5 ha, GlobalGAP 463.8 ha).

On vegetable crops, the whole province has more than 2,000 hectares of UDCNC. Vegetable farmers gradually reduce the amount of inorganic fertilizer by 10 - 40kg/ha, instead using organic fertilizers and biological products. Thereby, helping vegetable productivity increase by 5 - 20%, profit is 2 - 5 million VND/0.1 ha higher than traditional growing methods...

Regarding the UDCNC dragon fruit growing area, implementing the 2024 plan, the province has deployed to localities, continuing to implement 7 models, including 6 pilot models of dragon fruit production according to GAP. Currently, Long An province has more than 5,700 hectares of UDCNC dragon fruit.

As for rice, one of the main crops of Long An, up to now, the whole province has 59,672 ha/60,000 ha of rice area applying high technology in the Project area. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development assessed that the implementation of the High-Tech Agricultural Program in rice production has made a very important contribution to overcoming the shortage of labor in agricultural production. Compared to before participating in the model in the Project area, farmers have boldly applied certified seeds for sowing, thereby helping to reduce the sowing density by 10 - 30 kg/ha, and have known how to apply organic fertilizers, organic microorganisms, thereby helping to reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers by 10 - 30%...

In addition, the province has also implemented the construction of beef cattle breeding pilot models in Duc Hoa, Duc Hue, Thu Thua districts, etc. to support farmers in converting cattle breeds and improving the quality of beef cattle breeds. The results of breed conversion support up to now have reached 95% compared to the plan for the period 2021 - 2025.

According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long An province, the High-Tech Program has created a clear change for cattle farmers in the region. In particular, the initial effectiveness of some pilot models, breed conversion, mastery of ration design techniques, silage techniques for storage, making mineral stones, waste treatment... have increased economic efficiency and met the program's requirements of proactively sourcing breeding cows, increasing the value of calves...

For brackish water shrimp, the province has implemented many pilot models and models of expanding high-tech shrimp farming in the districts of Chau Thanh, Tan Tru, Can Duoc, etc. Specifically, it is expanding demonstration models of high-tech shrimp farming; applying and developing environmental treatment technology using microbial products in shrimp farming; applying information technology in controlling the pond environment and managing shrimp health. According to the plan, in the period of 2021 - 2025, the province will expand 100 hectares in 3 districts: Can Duoc (50 hectares), Chau Thanh (30 hectares), Tan Tru (20 hectares). To date, the total area implemented is 61.61 hectares.

Proactively implement the program

"In general, Ben Luc district has proactively developed the High-tech Agricultural Program associated with restructuring the agricultural sector, focusing on initial investment with positive results, changing the production practices of a part of farmers towards applying science and technology, products meeting GAP standards or following GAP. Thanks to that, the price of lemons is always 3,000 - 5,000 VND/kg higher than the market price, bringing stable income to farmers. Many models with positive effects have created a spread and support from the people, such as the water-saving irrigation system, good lemon varieties, using organic fertilizers...," Mr. Le Van Nam, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Luc district shared.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long An province, in the coming time, the provincial agricultural sector will focus on implementing and achieving and exceeding the targets of the Agricultural Development Program, associated with restructuring the agricultural sector in the period of 2021 - 2025. Accordingly, the sector will focus on coordinating with provincial departments, branches, People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to effectively carry out information and propaganda work; build production areas of agricultural production, pilot models, and replication models of agricultural production; support enterprises in applying scientific and technological advances in production, processing and consumption of agricultural products, etc.