Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister Le Minh Hoan said that Mekong Delta provinces and cities need to link, develop forms of production organization and promote cooperation for a sustainable development of the Mekong Delta. Each locality needs to actively expand the connection and development space. Land can be fragmented, administrative boundaries can be divided, but thinking cannot be fragmented, economic space cannot be divided.
Coordination along the commodity chain, regional and sub-regional linkages between localities need to be focused at the beginning of the season, not just focusing on handling when agricultural products are stagnant after harvest. Therefore, it is time for the delta to have a new, different, bigger, bolder way of thinking to activate this potential rich land.
Recently, in the Mekong Delta, models of ecological, integrated, multi-valued agriculture development have appeared in many localities in the region. The economic model under the forest canopy, the shrimp-rice model in Ca Mau peninsula, the model of converting from rice monoculture to multi-cropping and intercropping has increased income for farmers in the Dong Thap Muoi, Long Xuyen Quadrangle, production model adapting to drought and salinity in coastal provinces. The program "Each commune, ward, one product" is focused by the localities, delicately combining indigenous resources with local cultural values.
Many large corporations and enterprises have also implemented inter-provincial-scale projects, promising to activate the potentials of many localities at the same time. Those are optimistic signals that demonstrate the creativity, dynamism and vitality of the Delta. The point is that we need to connect and spread those values.
Linking the Mekong Delta is not an additive calculation in terms of population, area, and tangible resources of 13 provinces and cities. Above all, it is openness, connecting in thinking, connecting invisible and limitless resources, creating a harmonious relationship between "State - Market - Society", seeking new impulses, create a new development space.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam emphasized that the Mekong Delta is a major center for agricultural development in the production of rice, fruits, aquaculture, fishing and seafood processing, making a great contribution to the country's export of agro-forestry-fishery of the whole country’s products. At the same time, this area has a key economic region of the Mekong Delta including 4 provinces and cities: Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau. This is an area that plays an important role in biotechnology transfer, seed supply, logistic technical services, processing and exporting agricultural products for the whole Mekong Delta region.
In 2021, the added value of the total agricultural product of the Mekong Delta region will increase by 1.6%, accounting for 32.2% of the value added of the total product in the whole region and accounting for 31.3% of the added value of the total agricultural products of the whole country. The Mekong Delta ranks first in the country in terms of output of rice, brackish shrimp, pangasius and fruit, with 24.5 million tons of rice (accounting for 55.4% of the country), 0.78 million tons of shrimp (accounting for 83.5%), 1.47 million tons of Tra pangasius (accounting for 98%) and 4.3 million tons of fruit accounting for 60%).
Focusing on resources for development
Rural development, new rural construction has been focused and achieved many high results, the living standards of rural people have been improved, living conditions have been improved significantly. The national target program on building new rural areas has achieved outstanding results. By the end of 2021, 69.6% of communes have met the standard, an average of 16.9 criteria/commune, and 37 district-level units have been recognized as meeting new rural standards. In which, 2 localities, Can Tho city and Bac Lieu province, have 100% of communes meeting new rural standards.
Infrastructure for agricultural and rural development has received attention and investment, contributing to promoting production development and renewing the face of rural areas. Over the past time, the canal system has been synchronously invested with 15,000 km of main and grade I canals, 77 thousand km of grade II and III canals. A system of irrigation works and dike systems has been formed, water supply infrastructure, fishing port infrastructure in storm shelters for fishing vessels.
The Prime Minister pointed out that, for the development of the Mekong Delta, it is necessary to have institutions first. What is specific product planning? It is necessary to focus on investing in the development of infrastructure, social infrastructure, traffic, energy, digital infrastructure... Concentrate resources for development, public-private partnership, and internal resources for development. The most important internal resources are people, nature, cultural traditions, etc. Prioritize the application of science and technology to improve labor productivity.
"The Mekong Delta must be an entity, 13 provinces and cities cannot be separate, but must complement each other and link together. Production must be associated with the market. We must actively adapt to climate change. In order to develop agriculture, it must have a processing industry and an accompanying service," concluded by the Prime Minister.
Nam Anh (according to mard.gov.vn)